Oasis
by swirls-and-curls-kun
Summary: A tale of two kingdoms in AU Earthia. Amidst Aizen's attempt to revive an ancient weapon in the desert ruins, Ichigo is kidnapped by Grimmjow who intends to break and kill him. However, the two eventually find themselves on a journey to Inoue to get Grimmjow's arm healed and to bring her home, all the while falling in love... and unknowingly into Aizen's plot to take over the land.
1. sinner and a saint

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or any of the characters in it. I am also not earning anything from this story apart from simple entertainment.

**Warning! Contains: **Yaoi (man on man action in a sexual way), AU primarily the setting , Lemon, Some Non-Con, Abuse (initially), Captivity, Graphic battle and sexual scenes...

**Heads up:** In the beginning it will come off as "Non-Con," but if you stick with it, you will be led to a different place.

Now! I don't think I'm forgetting anything major... I have given all the warning I can to those of you who have ventured into this story.

**A/N: **This first chapter is mainly meant to establish the setting of the story and give a feel for the main characters.

**Pairing: **Grimmjow x Ichigo

* * *

Oasis

* * *

sinner and a saint

A prince.

That's precisely what he was. Grimmjow Jaegerjaques. Twenty six years old and renowned as the most destructive force in the desert kingdom of Los Noches.

He was the fifth prince to be exact and the sixth admiral in the court of ten to be chosen from to take the throne. This, of course, was only to happen when the king was either dethroned or slain in battle. Although his rank wasn't high, not even in the top five, the last thing the cerulean haired man did was worry about such a thing.

After all, none of the other nine were foolish enough to attack another in the court, handpicked by the king himself. Since they all remained secluded to their separate quarters most often, which were quite a fair distance apart in the palace, no one knew who held resentment against whom. Therefore, an attack could lead to an all out war between them, which would likely destroy the entire kingdom itself.

Sosuke Aizen, the second and current king, was out of the kingdom at the moment for reasons unknown. A perfect opportunity to take over and take him out upon his return, but he was far too powerful a man to even think of attempting something like that. Not to mention his two little drones who patrolled the palace and kept order for him while he was gone.

Gin and Tousen.

Two nuisances who got in the way of any real fun that could have been had while Aizen wasn't around. Especially Tousen. But they were stronger than even the ten Espada, as they had been formally named. Aizen's ability to control those two the way he did only further proved his power to them.

That is why everyone united under him. He was commanding. Fearless. Damned near omniscient. What more could the peasants ask for in a leader? At least they knew they'd be protected when danger arose… When he was in the kingdom that is.

The only person who could take on their king, it seemed, was Yamamoto Genryuusai in that bothersome kingdom that wasn't too great a distance away from their own western border.

Seireitei was it? Yeah, that was its name.

He may have been strong, but that old fart wasn't even their true king. He and his other twelve courts were just protection for the mystery man himself.

Grimmjow stood in his window, looking down to the streets full of peasants going about their miserable lives. Somewhere out there was a few of Yamamoto's underlings, here to be liaisons between the two kingdoms and to help out with recovery efforts.

After an attack the other day by some giant camel spiders, many of the citizens were left wounded and many more of them dead.

Grimmjow quickly put on a vest and left it open for the world to see his well-built form before exiting his quarters to go and see the extent of the damage for himself. He hadn't taken care of any of the spiders. It was Ulquiorra and Halibel, the saints that they were, who had gone and put the gargantuan arachnids down.

Even thinking about doing that was simply a pain. It wasn't worth his time to save the weak and defenseless. After all, the walls around the southern edge of the city were the most fortified so the scum should have had some chance of at least hiding their sorry carcasses when the first sign of danger appeared.

"Can't wait to see the fear in the people's eyes!" He smirked before the large white door to his quarters shut behind him.

The sight of people fearing something always brought him pleasure.

* * *

Ichigo Kurosaki, an accomplished and compassionate young doctor of only twenty years old, followed two of his closest comrades through the streets of Los Noches Kingdom.

Rukia and Renji, a duo to be reckoned with, trotted confidently down the dark golden streets of this unfamiliar and utterly depressed place.

The people, although surrounded by the majestic sands of the surrounding desert, all seemed downtrodden and hopelessly uninspired.

"Where are we going, Rukia?" Renji asked, "I thought we were helping Ichigo out."

"No, you and I need to meet with the Primera to let him know we're sending more medics to aid in seeing to the injured. That's it. Besides, what can you do to help an injured person but make the situation worse?" said girl asked.

"Haha very funny. Are you sure Ichigo is enough for today? Shouldn't we have brought Inoue or Ishida along as well?"

"Ahem! I'm still right behind you, you know?" Ichigo commented before squinting.

Renji stopped, "Oh, right… You know, I think the hospital is that way..." he said while pointing in a direction he chose arbitrarily.

"It's actually just a few streets over in that direction." Rukia corrected while pointing the opposite way, "Want us to escort you there, Ichigo?"

"I can handle a sword even better than a scalpel. Besides, when did I ever need protection from either of you?" the orange-haired boy asked with a confident smile.

"Right. Well, we'll go on to the palace and then come back when everything is taken care of. I think we're supposed to stay the night…or those may have been orders just for you… I'll radio in and find out for sure when I get back." The short girl spoke before continuing on her way to the large palace.

It was practically the first thing to be seen even at a distance from the kingdom. If Ichigo needed to find them, he'd know exactly where to go.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Renji shouted and then sped after his departing companion.

Ichigo watched as the two disappeared into the bustling crowd of people that filled this town to the brim.

Many of them seemed malnourished, others just lacking in any sense of inspiration or motivation.

It was so starkly different from home.

Back where he, Rukia, and Renji hailed from, everyone had a purpose. Even the townspeople in the Rukongai District went about their day to day lives with eagerness and content.

He turned and headed down the street that led to the hospital, slightly wishing he had just stayed home and trained today like he had intended to do. But when Unohana calls and requests you personally, there's nothing you can do but show up and heed her orders.

She was scary sometimes. No doubt she would have visited once she returned just to give him that cold, staring face she was famous for.

Why she had called him over Ishida, someone with more medical experience than he had, sort of puzzled him. It wasn't like he was the best there was, although he had received some medical training apart from the training he had undergone to become a bona fide soldier.

The deep black sword he was so used to wielding glistened at his side in the sunlight. Zangetsu was its name.

How many battles had he fought with this blade? Far too many to recall. Even Renji had been defeated, though just barely, with this deadly beauty.

It meant a lot to him because he had forged it during his training with Urahara, one of the primary tacticians and scientists of Seireitei Kingdom. Although he'd rather laze around and sell candy, Yamamoto put him to work alongside Kurotsuchi Mayuri, his all time rival. Seeing them together was truly a sight.

"Excuse me, sir?" a little boy called out which brought the orange-haired boy back to reality.

"Yes?" Ichigo turned and responded with a welcoming smile.

He assumed it was probably the only one this kid would see today, unfortunately.

"D-do you have any money you could spare? My little sister is really sick and she needs some medicine, but my family is too poor to afford it. I've been out asking all day but no one has been able to spare even a copper coin for me…"

"Heh, your luck's changed then. You caught me right after payday little guy. Let me get my wallet and I'll help you out."

Just as he reached down into his back pocket, everyone on the street suddenly tensed up and looked in his direction with fearful expressions.

"I-I'm not going to do anything… I promise. See, it's just my wallet." He assured while holding it in the air.

The boy stepped back from him and fell onto his knees before bowing his head to the ground apologetically.

"No, you don't need to… Uh… I didn't mean to be praised… I'm just trying to-"

"You there, peasant, what do you think you're doing!?"

Ichigo turned slowly and saw a man, he assumed to be one of the admirals of this place, with vibrant cerulean blue hair and eyes approaching him.

The look on his face said he clearly disapproved of this exchange entirely.

"I'm no peasant. I'm a soldier from the Seireitei Kingdom here to help those who were wounded in the attack two days ago. Your Primera called for us and we came, just as asked."

Grimmjow stopped just a few meters away from the 'soldier'. He was not pleased by this one bit. Those who cannot do for themselves and earn their own money should be left for dead. They were no better than the garbage in the hospital right now, begging for help.

Why encourage weakness in the kingdom? It'd just end up being slack he and the other Espada would have to make up for later.

The bluenette put his hand on his sword and was about to draw it to end this person's life, but he remembered that he had said that he was a soldier from Seireitei. The one thing that was forbidden between the two kingdoms was an all out murder of the other side's soldiers. Just like an Espada on Espada battle, it could also be the trigger to war, but this time it would be one of cataclysmic proportions.

Genryuusai and Aizen had signed a ceasefire treaty a while back to avoid total loss of the two neighboring kingdoms. Although, Aizen had every intention of taking over the Seireitei and assassinating its true king, he held off on those plans for some unknown reason.

It was probably because he knew, even with his ten precious Espada, he would never be able to do it. The thought of the unknown strength of their king, for someone calculating and tactical to a fault, must have been too much of a gamble.

Thus, the two kingdoms coexisted and even thrived on each other.

Seireitei was more vegetated with green plants and had a vast blue lake on its western end that led to a forested mountain range, which was in the exact opposite direction of Los Noches. They willingly brought fresh food and water when Los Noches's reserves were low.

On the other hand, Los Noches supplied Seireitei with all the glass it could produce since their own kingdom was primarily composed of sand. What they did with it was their own business.

Grimmjow released his sword and looked to the cowering child just behind the orange-haired soldier standing before him.

"In this kingdom, beggars and their children are put to death. I'll see it through now." He said before walking past the shorter soldier.

Before he could draw his sword, Ichigo stepped back in his way and used himself as a shield for the now crying child.

"Stand aside. This has nothing to do with you."

"I absolutely can't allow you to kill a child. It's immoral. What kind of rule is it that beggars are to be killed? This is a citizen in your own home. If you're one of the princes of this kingdom, then why not share some of that wealth when you can for someone who needs just a few coins that you surely wouldn't miss?"

"You're interfering with Los Noches customs! Move aside or I'll be forced to cut you down!" Grimmjow roared, drawing the eyes of even people from the second floors of their homes.

"You'll just have to kill me then." Ichigo responded, unwavering in his determination.

Grimmjow gazed into the brown eyes now staring at him disapprovingly.

It burned him to the core to see this inferior warrior looking down on him in such a way. He gripped his sword and even felt his knuckles cracking from the tight grip he had on it.

Seeing someone look at him like this reminded him of how often Nnoitora did the same thing or Ulquiorra verbalized his complete disapproval of his actions.

And that boiled his blood. This nobody from a kingdom that prided itself on numbers over strength had the audacity to stand in his way without even drawing his weapon? He couldn't let this go.

Just as he began pulling his prized sword from its sheathe, a calm, unmistakably pale hand on his shoulder caused him to stop.

"Grimmjow, you're certainly aware of the rules about striking a soldier from Serietei." Ulquiorra commented with little interest on the matter whatsoever.

In fact, in his other hand he had a book he was reading from.

"Ulquiorra! Don't stand in my way! Get lost!"

"I don't believe you have the time for this foolishness. Let's return to the palace. If Aizen found out you were undermining his authority by doing exactly what he proscribed us not to do, he'd surely have your head. Tousen would gladly pass the knowledge of this situation onto him if he got word of it."

Grimmjow glanced back at the boy in front of him one last time before he couldn't bear to look at him any longer.

Doing the prudent thing, he sheathed his sword once more and abruptly turned to go back to the palace.

Ulquiorra tossed a few shimmering golden coins on the ground to the boy just behind Ichigo before doing the same. He didn't even acknowledge the orange-haired boy's existence.

Ichigo lowered his arms and sighed a heavy breath of relief. That could have gone a whole lot worse.

When he turned around, the child stood and sincerely thanked him for offering his money before rushing off with the gold pieces he had received.

"Well, it's not an ideal way to do it, but I saved one life so far today." He smiled.

The crowds of people quickly returned to their respective activities when he continued on his way to the hospital.

Ichigo could clearly see the entrance to the hospital now. There were more lives to save and less time to be concerned about the insensitive admirals Aizen had working under him.

* * *

"Have you lost your senses completely, Grimmjow?" Ulquiorra asked when he caught up to said man.

His emerald green eyes moved from the pages of his book to the other disapprovingly.

"If you hadn't interrupted I would-"

"Likely have triggered the second war that would have led to countless deaths simply because you wanted to rid the town of a beggar child? That isn't your main concern at the moment. Once we return to the palace, I do hope you'll meditate on your actions."

Grimmjow ignored the pale man completely.

That damned kid. Those damned eyes. That unbelievable defiance.

He had to die for his insolence and interference with matters that didn't concern him. The only thing left to him was to be defeated, dominated, and then utterly destroyed. That's all there was to it.

**So those of you who know me and are following my other stories, most likely Close to You with this pairing, don't fear! I still have a good 10+ chapters to write with that one and am still considering that story top priority until it's completed. I'll also be continuing my Naruto and One Piece stories so don't fret about them either. I just wanted to give this preview for this story to get more readers interested in my writing and, hopefully, keep the ones I already have :3**

**Let me know what you think because this is story will be the next GrimmIchi I write once the other is finished! (I may upload another chapter even before CtY is done) Prepare yourselves!**

**And also, HAPPY NEW YEAR!**


	2. burning with passion

**After I started hardcore planning this story, I didn't see any harm in releasing this chapter seeing as there are soooo many more and I've only barely gotten started haha. And with hope, this will leave you wanting more. So do enjoy! I think...**

burning with passion

To say that Rukia's chat with the Primera Espada was long may have been a bit of an understatement.

The two had discussed the attack on Los Noches and even came to the conclusion that perhaps the beasts of the land, having been here before either kingdom, were trying to take back the desert.

Though, everything seemed alright back home. Nothing had come from the forests to attack the Seireitei.

Which was a good sign she assumed.

As she walked down the street, she shivered at the thought of the phantom forest that lie just beyond the meadows. Thankfully the creatures in that place kept to themselves, as did the citizens of their kingdom. It was a rather peaceful coexistence.

When she rounded the next corner, she could see the southern gate that Renji had went to when the meeting started. He got bored and assumed he would be of more help in the reconstruction of it, so he was excused.

The short girl sighed, "Well, guess I'd best get to the hotel and check back with Captain Ukitake."

A nice hot bath sounded lovely right now. She'd take one before she did anything else.

"_Best do it before the other two come and dirty the tub up."_ She thought with a smile.

* * *

As he stepped out of the hospital, Ichigo sighed at the warmth the evening was providing. After a long day of being inside the freezing cold building, the change in temperature was more than welcome.

Just as he was about to head down the street, Hanataro hurried out the main doors of the hospital and ran after him.

"Ichigo-san!" he called.

Said boy turned around and smiled when he saw the familiar frantic face of Hanataro, "What's up?"

"Unohana-san asked me to catch you and tell you thanks for the assistance today."

"Oh, that's no problem at all. It is kind of my job to help her when she needs me. But why didn't she call Ishida or Inoue? Heck, even my dad could have done more than I did…"

"Surely you're not serious… It is strict law that we do not involve Quincies, civilians, or retired Court Guards in our matters. It's not that they're trying to be discriminatory in any way, it just isn't prudent to endanger civilians. The Quincies are their own organization and aren't always willing to provide assistance to us. So you have to understand where the Head Captain is coming from in that decision."

"I guess that makes sense…"

"You missed his decree on the matter didn't you?"

"Maybe…" Ichigo said while looking away guiltily.

"Oh, there's something else. Unohana-san wanted me to tell you that since you reduced the number of patients today by over half, you can take the next few days off to escort Rukia-san and Lieutenant Abarai home. Lieutenant Isane and I can handle the remaining ones. But your help would be appreciated when you return."

Ichigo grinned. Honestly, he had just done everything he had been asked to do so it was no surprise the number of patients fell drastically.

"Thanks, Hanataro. Tell her I'll take them home and then come back."

"Right! A roundabout trip is near a week long so have a safe journey, Ichigo-san!"

"Right. Well, see you later Hanataro." Ichigo said before turning and heading on his way to the hotel he and the others were sharing for the night.

On his way down the streets of the city, he noticed a few people excitedly running to where smoke was rising.

Figuring he'd see what the commotion was about, he followed them carefully.

What he came upon was not disaster. Instead, it appeared to be some sort of celebration.

Gypsies danced around a large bonfire merrily, beckoning the citizens to join them. Given the way the townsfolk carried themselves earlier, seeing some of them join in the jovial activity was honestly a shock.

"Guess there's no emergency here…" the boy commented.

"Why would there be one?" a gypsy girl asked as she danced over to him.

"Oh, it just seemed like-"

"Fire isn't always a bad thing, silly soldier. I don't blame you for thinking in such a way. With all the heat from the desert, it would be no surprise if a fire broke out and destroyed the city."

"Who are you?" Ichigo asked.

"The name is Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck. Call me Nel for short. Would you care to dance with me?" she asked, before grabbing him by the arm and pulling him near the fire.

Ichigo awkwardly moved as the girl spun around him. He turned his gaze to the firebreathers when they started spewing fire. They walked down the street, earning claps as they lit up the darker parts of it.

When he heard an explosion, Ichigo turned back to the bonfire. Children, given powder bombs by the gypsies, threw them into the fire and watched as they changed the color of the entire blaze. It was really a captivating thing to see.

Brown eyes turned back to the girl who smiled and led him to a seat near the flames.

"So, why are you here in the kingdom?"

The girl turned to the people, "They need us here. We normally don't stay in one place for too long, but if we can bring even a tiny bit of happiness to this place, then that's what we'll do." she said benevolently.

A tall gypsy who was passing stopped and offered them drinks.

"No thanks, I'll pass."

"Learn to live a little!" Nel grinned before taking two drinks from the man's tray.

Ichigo sighed and took the liquor.

"So, handsome soldier from a distant land, is there anyone your heart burns for?"

"What kind of question is that all of the sudden!?"

"Well, when I see the fire, it reminds me of the passion we are capable of having for someone. And that carrot top of yours reminds me of it. Besides, I'm just curious. You're quite a looker."

"If you must know, there isn't anyone like that in my life. But I do have my friends and family back in Seireitei who I would die for."

Nel smiled, "It must be hard to be a soldier and have no one waiting for you to embrace you when you return."

"That's not such a problem to me. Love comes in all shapes and forms, and I've got as many of them as I need. By the way," he turns from staring at the flames to Nel, "How did you know I was a soldier?"

"Oh, I saw your little act of valor earlier with the Sexta Espada, Grimmjow Jaegerjaques."

"You saw that?" Ichig blushed.

It was pretty embarrassing having all those people watching him stand up to one of their higher ups. But he deserved it for the way he was behaving.

"I did. Some guts you have there. That guy could have killed you."

"Hey, Nel."

"Yeah?"

"You asked me if I had a lover as though you were an expert on the matter. Does that mean you have a lover?"

The girl burst into laughter and had to put her drink down, "No way! I'm only sixteen. Love is a foreign word to me."

"Then how do you see it fit to talk about it like you've lived a thousand lives and loved in each one of them?"

"Because I'm a girl, duh! And I'm also not fighting for anything like you are."

The orange-haired boy turned back to the fire and continued to drink. He turned though when he remembered what she had just said, "You're only sixteen but you're drinking!?"

"I'm a gypsy. No one cares about that kind of thing." Nel grinned.

"Right…"

The girl smiled and raised her glass, "May you find the love you deserve."

"Yeah, a girl who'll be there for me through thick and thin."

Nel turned to him and smiled, "I never said anything about a _girl_."

Before Ichigo could offer any kind of retaliation, the bonfire exploded in a brilliant display of blue flames.

* * *

It was now after dark and the stars were appearing one by one in the sky, signaling the end of another day in the kingdom of lost dreams.

"Master Grimmjow, are you feeling well? It isn't like you to sulk around." Shawlong asked when he stepped into the courtyard his commander rested in.

The bluenette turned his attention from the sky to his subordinate, "No, I'm not. And I'm _not_ sulking. Ulquiorra is just too soft and he knows it. A warrior shouldn't stand down in the face of a challenge, and that's exactly what he did today. Not only that, but he made me do it as well."

"A challenge? What exactly are you referring to?"

Grimmjow stood and walked over to the stone railing around his large courtyard and leaned on it, "Earlier today this soldier from that other kingdom stood up to me. He even had the balls to look down on me like he was so much better than I was and I'll have his head for it."

"How do you plan to do that?"

"I don't know yet."

"Why not challenge him to a duel? I'm not entirely certain how you would go about killing him, but there is absolutely nothing forbidden to us about dueling soldiers from the other kingdom. At the very least, you can prove you are the stronger fighter."

Blue eyes turned to the black-haired man, "I need some time alone to think, but thank you for that advice. I may do just that."

"Anytime your highness. I'll take my leave then." Shawlong said before bowing and then retreating from the courtyard.

Grimmjow turned back to the city below. He had already planned to fight the fool, but he didn't think to make an official request of it. That was Shawlong for you, always thinking of something useful.

He would challenge this soldier to a duel, defeat him, and then…

Well, what then?

Would he kill him? Or would he spare him?

Murdering him would immediately trigger war between the two kingdoms, and as Aizen had said when the treaty was signed, that was to be avoided right now.

"I don't have the patience to think about shit like this." The man said before turning to go inside.

Some sleep would be the best remedy for his restless mind. The less he thought and the more he acted, the better he figured things would turn out.

After taking a near scorching hot bath and seeing that Pantera was fast asleep on the upper terrace, he crawled into his oversized bed and fell face first on his pillows.

Although at some point he had fallen asleep, a peaceful respite was far from what he got during it.

Even in his dreams this boy taunted him. Called him out and watched as he walked away with Ulquiorra, assuming he would have won a bout between them anyway.

Grimmjow was swimming in those brown eyes, looking for some way to escape. And then suddenly, he was run through with that ebony blade the boy carried at his side.

That was what shook him from his sleep.

Sweat covered him from head to toe, drenching his sheets. He panted, gripped his blankets, and clenched his teeth in all out fury.

"Even in my fucking dreams he mocks me?!" the cerulean-haired man breathed out heavily.

Upon glancing at the clock on his wall, he saw that it was just past two in the morning. This development wasn't the least bit pleasing to him.

"If only I had ended him earlier today… I wouldn't be going through this shit right now!" he yelled.

Pantera, the large gray panther, walked into the room from the terrace and gazed down at his master. It was unlike him to be awake this time of day, or morning.

His blue eyes followed Grimmjow when he threw back his sheets and stalked out of the room angrily.

He returned with a palace concubine walking ahead of him hurriedly. When she got to the bed, she immediately dropped her gown, climbed onto the sheets, and got into position for intercourse.

The panther turned and went back out to the terrace. There was no need for him to see his master in the act of dominating someone less powerful than he.

He put his paws over his ears when the woman began moaning audibly, screaming that she was glad to please her prince and admiral.

Inside the room, Grimmjow was giving her a merciless pounding, trying to drown out the thought of his manhood which had been called on today.

He was performing so aggressively that he didn't notice when the concubine began crying.

When he did though, it only fueled him.

What would it be like to force that orange-haired boy into this position? Would he cry? Would he scream? Would he beg for it to end?

The myriad of thoughts raced through Grimmjow's head until he began imagining this woman as the boy. Broken and vulnerable beneath him.

The image was shattered, however, when the concubine raised her arms and leaned up to press her lips against his.

Immediately, he grabbed her face and forced her back onto the bed.

"That's not what this means. Me fucking you only shows how weak you are, woman. Nothing more, nothing less."

Upon hearing this, the woman turned away, brought her hand to her mouth, and cried as Grimmjow continued his ruthless pounding.

The bluenette smirked. How it pleased him, the thought of that soldier writhing beneath him, moaning in pain and submitting to power. Giving in to the stronger man and losing himself in the process.

That thought alone was enough to make him pull out of the woman and lose himself all over her stomach with a loud, pleasurable moan.

Even the woman beneath him hadn't expected him to make such a noise.

"I-I'm glad I could please you, your highness." She said.

Honestly, she was content with having sex with the Espada. Her tears only arose from the pain felt as he pushed into her so far she felt like she was being repeatedly punched with a fist.

Grimmjow panted heavily and fell on his side, "Get out of my sight." He said.

As soon as the concubine left the room, he pulled the blankets over himself and fell asleep again.

Tomorrow was the time. He was going to make his move. And the orange-haired, brown-eyed boy wouldn't know what hit him either. He'd make sure of it.

**It seemed that first chapter really fared well with you all. Thanks for the reviews and follows/faves!**


	3. genesis

genesis

The king had returned.

Sosuke Aizen, a former member of the 13 Court Guard Squads, had come home from his long, enlightening journey.

He sat down to the table in the palace conference room quietly, waiting for his two associates to arrive for their summoning.

As he glanced around, he noticed the doors of the room were open, allowing light to flood in. It pleased him to see that it had been kept in pristine condition while he was away.

One of his younger attendants rushed in with a tray of tea and compliments for it before offering it to him.

The man gladly took it and excused the servant for his tardiness.

"Sipping tea as always." Gin smirked as he walked into the meeting room, followed by a silent Tousen.

"I have some very important matters to discuss with you two." Aizen said before putting his tea gently on the table.

"I hope your trip was engaging." Tousen said before bowing and then taking a seat at one of the chairs opposite of his commander.

"Indeed. I learned quite a lot and I'm pleased to share the knowledge with you."

"Well don't keep us waiting, where did you go?" Gin said, losing his patience.

"I was investigating the old temple far out in the desert. It's to the west of here."

"I wasn't aware of any temple." Tousen commented.

"Yes, while in Seireitei, information about it is kept top secret. The reason is because there's a weapon of great magnitude sealed deep within its bowels."

"Oooh, now you've got my attention!" the silver-haired man opened his frost blue eyes.

"I do believe a brief history lesson is in order for you to understand any part of what I'm about to reveal to you." Aizen picked up his glass of tea and took a quick sip from it before he continued, "Have either of you ever heard the term Earthian before?"

"Nope."

"No sir."

"I figured as much. Then I'm certain you've never heard of the word Skifenian before. Let me enlighten you on these two races. For the latter is the reason for the existence of the powerful weapon I'm seeking."

"Can we put that on hold for just one sec!" Gin said before standing, "I really have to… drain the snake…"

"Do hurry back." The brunette dismissed.

Gin scurried out of the room, and while he was gone, Tousen turned to his commander.

"Why do you need Gin, sir? He is simply a nuisance."

Aizen glanced up from his tea, "Because he's just as strong as you are. He too was a captain of the Seireitei, are you forgetting?"

"I know. He just seems, lackadaisical, for lack of a better word. Are you sure he's the right choice for aiding you?"

"I need his strength. A time will come when I won't be here to defend the kingdom. I'm counting on you and him to see to its safety until I return."

"Yes sir."

Gin returned to the room and quickly took his seat again, "Sorry sir, those liquor drinks these Arrancar can shake up are really strong."

"Let's return to the matter at hand, shall we? As I was saying, in ancient times, there existed two races: Earthians and Skifenians. As you can imagine, the Earthians lived on the ground and continue to exist to this day. The Skifenians, on the other hand, lived in the sky. A kingdom of size and wonder embellished the clouds and they existed peacefully in its embrace. They were gifted with the knowledge of the universe and were even considered beings from another planet. The intellect of their race was not to be taken lightly."

"Hold on, I have a question! If they were a peaceful race, why do they have a weapon of destruction that even you want? Must be powerful…" Gin said childishly.

"I'm getting to that." The calm voiced man responded, "It should come as no shock to either you that the Earthians and the Skifenians did not mingle, too often, I should say. The races kept to themselves, observing each other from a distance. But the Earthians longed to live up in the clouds as the Skifenians did. They wanted to know what made them so much more different, and so they invented flying mechanisms to reach the kingdom in the sky."

"I'm sure it didn't turn out well for them." Tousen commented.

"Precisely. The Earthians did eventually manage to reach the kingdom, but the ones who did never returned to their homelands."

"Mystery? *GASP* Murder!?" Gin grinned.

"What became of them is unknown, but it is said that this sparked the interest in some passive Skifenians. A small number of them descended on the earth and learned all they could about the ones who dwelled there. This inevitably brought about a mixing of the races."

"Making babies, huh? An excellent way to foster peace between nations. Not."

Aizen turned to Gin who turned away quickly, "Afraid of their race dying out through dilution of their pure blood, the radical priests of the sky came together and decided it was forbidden for the study of the Earthians to progress any further. They abandoned their own kind who had descended for that sole purpose and then produced a weapon capable of destroying an entire nation with celestial energy, thus proving they were connected to that which was a shroud of mystery to the Earthians."

"So, is it possible that the blood of the Skifenians runs through the veins of those in this land?"

"Indeed. Though the kingdom is gone and the race near extinct, the king of Seireitei is a pureblooded Skifenian."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold the phone! How is that possible!?" Gin asked after opening his eyes once more.

"Surely you didn't think there wouldn't be descended Skifenians that didn't feel the same as their priests? On that note, there were those who procreated with the Earthians. The blood is thin, but I already know someone who is a carrier."

"Is it- Is it you, Aizen-taichou?"

"No. The blood of the Earthians courses through my veins."

"Then who is it?" Tousen asked.

"In due time. I'd like to discuss the weapon with you."

Gin sat back in his seat, "Do tell."

"Though it's a powerful weapon, it is impossible for me to obtain it without the key. This key is sealed away in the forested temple far to the west."

"Doesn't the king live past the forested temple?"

"In a sanctuary above the mountains, yes. And there is no doubt in my mind he knows the key is there."

"You're going to the temple, aren't you? Through the meadow, phantom forest, and the forbidden districts too?"

"Of course. But… there is also another component I need to activate the weapon."

A silver eyebrow rose, "That would be…?"

"The sacrifice of a Skifenian." The brunette said with a grin, "A perfect example of the tenacity that race was famous for. Creating such a measure on the activation of the weapon, knowing full well the knowledge of them would die out over time and those carrying their blood wouldn't even be aware they had it. There are only a handful of people who know of the existence of the Skifenians to this day."

"Who!?" Gin asked curiously, "Is Kisuke-"

"Let's not get into details, Gin."

"So, this one you know of, you'll sacrifice them? And they don't even know they're a carrier of this ancient blood?" Tousen asked.

"Indeed. While I'm gone, I'd like you two to see that things are in order until I return."

Gin turned and smiled at Tousen, "Hear that, he said you _two_."

"Don't remind me."

Aizen stood from his seat, ready to cleanse himself of the stress and grime of his travels.

"One last thing," when the other two men turned to him, he smiled, "Please refrain from intervening in the affairs of the Espada while I'm gone. Let the children play. Things will go according to my plan if you do not interfere with them."

"Yes sir. You have my word." Tousen said with a bow.

"Yeah, yeah." Gin smiled.

"Take this seriously, Ichimaru." The darker man commented, displeased with the attitude he was giving Aizen.

When their commander left the room, Gin turned to the other, "Say, Tousen, I wonder who that Skifenian descendant is Aizen-taichou mentioned."

Said man did not respond although he was just as curios about who it could be.

* * *

"Ichigo, pick up the pace!" Renji said irritably as he walked beside Rukia, just ahead of the boy.

They were all walking through the city, making their way to the kingdom's massive white gates. As instructed, Rukia and Renji were going home and Ichigo was, at his own leisure, escorting them.

"Shut up, Renji! I'm looking for someone!" the orange-haired boy exclaimed as his brown eyes wandered through the crowds of townspeople that bustled around him.

There was no sign of Nelliel anywhere and she had promised she'd be in town today.

"Who are you looking for, Ichigo?" Rukia asked as she comfortably walked beside the tattooed redhead.

Renji was carrying her baggage as well as his own. Since he had offered to do so, she didn't see any reason to turn him down on the offer.

"A gypsy I met last night."

"Have you fallen in love with her?" Renji mocked.

"Not even! Keep walking, pack mule!" Ichigo said angrily.

After a brief argument between the two redheads, the three arrived at the kingdom gates and were allowed to leave after showing their badges.

"Yours was a substitute badge." Renji turned and mocked once more.

Ichigo smirked, "I may only be a substitute, but I beat you, didn't I?"

"Why you-"

"Ouch, that's gotta hurt…" Rukia said as if the comment pained even her.

"Sh-shut up, Ichigo!"

As they continued down the road that led to their own kingdom, Ichigo couldn't help but notice how swelteringly hot it was. When Rukia and Renji moved to walking in the shade along the walls of Los Noches, he followed their example.

The sun was shining brightly in the sky, so bright it was unbearable to be trapped under it for too long. It was nothing like how temperate it was back home.

"Still hot…" the boy commented before taking off his top layers and letting them fall to his sides.

"Look who has some muscles." Renji said sarcastically, "Keep up or we'll leave you behind for the animals to eat."

The boy stopped for a moment to drink from his water and then responded when he was done.

"One more time, Renji. One more word and it's you and me."

"Calm down you fools. We've got a long way to go and I'm not in the mood for-"

Rukia stopped abruptly and put her hand on her sword.

"Rukia? What's wrong?" Ichigo asked.

Violet eyes gazed up to the roof of one of the lookout towers connected to the wall they were walking along. The massive reiatsu that suddenly appeared up there was too much for her to ignore.

Renji bent down to her and then looked in the direction she was looking in before his eyes went wide.

Ichigo grinned at the two a few feet ahead of him, "Guys, what's the big-"

Gravity suddenly felt as though it was crushing all three of them for a moment before it vanished and someone jumped down into the sand between them.

Rukia and Renji jumped back out into the sun. Ichigo did the same, but in the opposite direction.

"You…!" he said with wide eyes.

"It's time for us to fight, Court Guard. I'm here to duel you." Grimmjow said before drawing his white sword.

It shined brilliantly in the sunlight as he pointed it in Ichigo's direction.

"I won't fight you, Espada. Especially for no reason. If you're still upset about that beggar child, then maybe you should resign from your position as a prince. Your kingdom definitely doesn't need a king who'd kill the weak and helpless out of spite."

The cerulean-haired man smirked daftly, "You will fight! I'll make sure of it!"

Ichigo's eyes widened as he watched Grimmjow disappear from in front of him and then reappear next to Renji.

Before the redhead could react, he was cut down and fell face first into the sand.

"RENJI!" Ichigo shouted.

Rukia stepped back and began chanting an incantation. But before she could finish, Grimmjow charged her and ran his hand through her stomach.

He grinned at the blood trails flowing rapidly down his arm. After the girl grabbed his arm and dug her nails into it defensively, he lifted her small frame into the air.

"RUKIA, NO!" Ichigo made to draw his sword but before he could, Grimmjow put his hand over the girl's mouth.

"Let's see you chant something now." The man smirked wickedly before preparing to fire a Cero.

"Wait! Grimmjow, don't do it!"

At the sound of his own name, the Espada turned, "If you want them to stay alive, you'll have to duel and kill me."

Ichigo pulled his ebony sword from its sheathe and dropped his bag before raising it in Grimmjow's direction, "I- I accept the challenge. Drop Rukia and face me, one on one." He said with a considerable look of determination.

"That's the look you'll die for, Court Guard!" the bluenette smirked before tossing Rukia carelessly on top of Renji.

Brown eyes looked to his wounded comrades, clinging desperately to life, before turning back to their vicious attacker. There was no choice. He'd have to go all out on this guy and end this quickly.


	4. ambiguous motive

**Read and review**

ambiguous motive

"Nel-onee-chan!"

The gypsy girl turned when she heard her name being called. She smiled warmly when she saw that it was the small child that Ichigo had saved from the Sexta Espada yesterday.

"Hi! What are you doing roaming through town again? Don't you live on the opposite end of the kingdom?" she asked.

"Mhmm! I was on my way home actually. My little sister is doing a lot better now thanks to Master Cifer's kindness!"

"I'm glad to hear that." Nel said with relief.

"I heard you were with the soldier who saved me last night, how's he doing?" the boy asked.

"I'm not sure… He was pretty shitfa- I mean, he was pretty _silly_ last night so I saw to it that he got home safe. I thought I'd see him today, but I guess not…"

"Are you two talking about that handsome orange-haired soldier from Seireitei?" a townswoman asked as she approached.

"Yes, I'm actually looking for him right now." Nel responded.

"You won't find him on this end of the kingdom. He was heading to the main gates a little earlier."

"Really!? He must be leaving then! That jerk! Not even coming to say goodbye to me!"

"Well if you hurry you might catch him." The woman winked.

Nel blushed, "I- It's not like _that_! Absolutely not!"

The woman laughed, "Of course, dear. Of course."

Before she could be embarrassed any further, Nel said farewell to the two and then headed in the direction of the kingdom gates. If she was lucky, she'd run into Ichigo before he was gone.

* * *

The tiny speckles of golden sand were the first things Renji saw after he slowly opened his eyes.

The man panted heavily and lifted himself off the ground, causing Rukia to fall off of his back. He turned and saw it was actually her who had been on top of him.

She too was panting uncontrollably.

Through the sheer pain felt from the wound that nearly cost him his right arm, he leaned over her and noticed the hole in her stomach.

"Rukia… Rukia! Stay with me…!" he called then patted her face.

"Ren…ji…" the girl said after slightly opening her eyes.

"Rukia, keep breathing...! We're gonna be… okay…"

Rukia smiled, "I don't think… *cough* I will… this time… *cough*"

"Rukia! Don't close your eyes! Rukia!"

The clashing sound of blades a few yards away quickly caught the redhead's attention. Though his vision of it was blurred from this distance, he could see that Ichigo was holding off the man who had attacked them.

When he made to stand, his gash bled profusely, causing him to fall back to the sand.

"*pant* Ichigo… destroy that bastard… *pant* and take care… of Rukia…" he said before passing out from blood loss.

…

"You'll have to do a lot better than that, Court Guard!" Grimmjow yelled excitedly after catching Ichigo's blade in his hand when the boy charged him with it.

Their battle was only just beginning and the Espada could already feel adrenaline pumping hurriedly through his veins. Pushing his demented desires past their limits.

To distance himself and formulate a plan, Ichigo swiftly kicked Grimmjow in the stomach, sending him flying through the sand.

"Heheh! You think that'll hold me back!?" With an atmosphere distorting Sonído, Grimmjow sped over to the boy and crashed his blade against the deep ebony one.

Ichigo staggered from the pressure and was forced backwards against his will.

"This isn't over, Grimmjow!" he yelled before ducking off from the Espada's ivory blade.

He jumped back a few feet and lifted his sword to perform his signature technique, but before he could, Grimmjow lifted his right hand.

An eerie blue light suddenly appeared in his palm and he quickly fired something.

Not knowing what else to do, Ichigo dodged it and quickly turned to see what it would have done had it hit him.

The explosion a few miles away gave him his answer. He stood staring at the rising dust cloud in the distance with shock and awe.

"Is he really trying to kill me?" he asked himself.

"Don't take your eyes off your enemy unless you wanna be stabbed in the back!" Grimmjow yelled irritably from where he was standing.

Ichigo turned and raised his sword defensively, but he noticed that the man hadn't made to attack him.

"_What the hell…?"_ he thought.

It was the perfect opportunity for him to make a lethal blow, but he instead chose to stand in place and offer advice? Just what was his true goal in this battle?

"Heheh!" the Espada grinned before Sonídoing to where the boy was standing.

Ichigo instinctively Flash Stepped out of the way of Grimmjow's blade and then countered. When their blades clashed, he applied his own strength, letting the other assume he wanted to win this sort of tug of war.

After a few seconds of their standoff, the boy jumped out of the way causing Grimmjow to fall forward. He used that as his countering opportunity and punched the larger man in the face. This sent the Espada flying backwards towards the bordering walls of Los Noches.

Grimmjow caught himself just before crashing and slammed his feet against the large, golden brown wall before using it for a Sonído boost.

Said boost left two deep footprints behind, which quickly led to the destruction of the surrounding area on the wall.

"TAKE THIS!" the bluenette shouted irately, sending his own fist crashing into Ichigo's face.

Due to the unbelievable force, the boy went flipping and flying out of control in the opposite direction across the sand dunes.

Thinking fast, Ichigo slammed his blade into the sand to slow himself down and then came to a stop. When he saw blood dripping on the ground, he clenched his teeth in anger. After looking over to Rukia and Renji, he glared at the grinning man who was now sprinting towards him.

If he didn't end this soon, there'd be nothing he could do to save his friends.

"They'll die like this…!" he said angrily.

Grimmjow, loving the enraged look on Ichigo's face, jumped into the air when he got close enough to the boy and then started spinning with his sword, acting as a lethal propeller.

His blade clashed against Ichigo's a few times before the boy repelled him into the air.

"Kehahahaha! You'll never save your little friends if you can't beat me! So you'd better stop fucking around!" Grimmjow taunted wickedly.

He could see the desperation in Ichigo's eyes and he loved it.

The feeling he got in this moment was a completely different sensation from the malice he felt earlier as he watched this side of the boy emerge, and he was enjoying it tremendously.

His cerulean eyes glinted when he saw a black and red essence emitting from the other's blade.

Ichigo pointed his sword out into the vast desert coolly before lifting it above his head with both his hands. This technique was one he had hoped to avoid using near an allying kingdom, but he was being given no choice under these circumstances. Rukia and Renji needed him, desperately.

"So you had a trick up your sleeve this whole time, huh?" the Espada grinned eagerly. He lifted his left hand and aimed it at the boy on the ground. "You're too little too late though!"

Ichigo closed his eyes and sighed, "Rukia… Renji… I'll end this now…"

Grimmjow grinned eagerly, "Take thi-"

"Getsuga TENSHOOOOUU!"

Blue eyes opened wide at the crescent-shaped, dark energy flying towards him at light speed. It was easy to tell that for as fast as it was approaching, evasion was impossible.

With haste, Grimmjow dropped his sword to the ground below and brought both of his arms up to protect his face.

A burning sensation stung its way across his unprotected torso and he felt like he would pass out from the burning pain it caused.

After a few moments of aftershock, the man lowered his arms, then glanced down and saw an ugly, dark scar flowing from his chest to his navel.

He was utterly surprised. No one had ever injured him before, let alone damaged his near impenetrable Hierro.

Ichigo panted for a moment before falling to his knees. Never had he used that technique so fiercely before. He chanced a glance up at Grimmjow and saw that he looked surprisingly pleased.

"Keheheheh! Hehahahahaha!" the man bellowed psychotically from the air.

"Damnit…" the orange-haired boy said, realizing he was now out of options.

"What a surprising technique! You're definitely worth the effort of this battle, Court Guard!"

Ichigo ignored the man and stood up. That Getsuga Tenshou had been his ultimate technique and this Espada was still standing strong despite getting hit point blank by it.

He turned to Rukia and Renji before biting his bottom lip in anger. They needed him. They needed immediate attention and then they needed to be taken to Inoue as soon as possible. Screw Yamamoto's orders, she'd never stand by idly when her friends were suffering.

The only thing standing in his way of saving them was this man.

Ichigo gripped his sword and jumped into the air furiously to attack, but before his sword could hit, Grimmjow ducked to the ground before picking up his own sword again.

Ichigo could see that the man was smirking after he glanced down at his new scar.

"You get off on pain, Espada?! 'Cause I'll give you more where that came from if you don't GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

Grimmjow looked up to Ichigo and grinned maliciously, "Keheheheh! I'm sure _they_ do much more than me!"

The bluenette slit his finger along the blade of his sword and let the blood drip to the ground for a moment. Brown eyes widened when the man lifted his hand in Rukia and Renji's direction.

"You- No! Don't do it!"

"Keheheheh HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAH!"

"DON'T DO IT! THEY CAN'T EVEN DEFEND THEMSELVES!"

The familiar blue light of Grimmjow's Cero appeared, but this time it charged for a few moments and as it did the surrounding area got dark, "This is the end for them!"

"GRIMM-"

"Gran Rey Cero!" the bluenette exclaimed as he released his unrelenting attack.

Ichigo felt the world slowing down immensely and his heart beating uncontrollably. The Cero was flying right at Rukia and Renji, who probably weren't even conscious to see it coming.

They were his friends, like family. Forget defeating Grimmjow, saving them was his top priority right now!

He turned his back to the man on the ground and sped in their direction.

The wind whipped past his face and he gritted his teeth in anticipation of the worst possible outcome. The Cero was just ahead of him but he was speeding faster than he ever had before.

"_I can do this!"_ he thought, letting his mindset turn from thoughts of anxiety to ones confidence.

With seconds to spare, he made it to where Rukia and Renji were lying unconscious. He jumped into the sand and slid his way through it over to them before turning and using his sword to deflect the speeding Cero into the air. It was no small task, that was for sure. The pressure it contained had nearly crushed him.

As he watched it fade up into the atmosphere, he sighed a heavy breath of relief. Words couldn't begin to describe how out of breath he was or how glad he was that he was able to make it in time.

But before he could relax, he knew there was still an enemy to defeat.

After looking back to where Grimmjow had fired his attack from, he saw that the man was no longer there.

"Where-"

"Behind you, Court Guard."

Ichigo jumped at the sound of Grimmjow's raspy voice in his ear and turned to attack, but before he could he felt something hard smash against the back of his head.

With a smirk, Grimmjow gently caught Ichigo in his right arm before he could hit the ground.

"You were far too careless in this battle, not to mention the weaklings you were trying to protect which weighed you down. That's why you lost."

"Let me go! Urgh...!" Ichigo groaned when he felt blood trickle down his face and drip from his nose.

"It's lights out for you." The bluenette grinned and pulled the boy close to him for a moment to breathe in his scent before releasing him and then slamming his knee into his stomach.

Breathless and wide-eyed, Ichigo felt like he'd throw up from the sudden pain. It forced him to drop his sword in the sand and he felt his senses fading.

The last thing he recalled before losing consciousness was being tossed over Grimmjow's shoulder and watching as Rukia and Renji's bodies were left carelessly in the desert's unforgiving embrace.

**That was my first Bleach-styled battle scene. Hope I did okay!**

**I know I said updates a week apart in Close to You, but I couldn't resist updating this since I had this chapter written already. It just needed re-reading and editing. And as always, thanks for the feedback on previous chapters! I really appreciate it :3**


	5. scarred

**Warning: This chapter contains non-consensual sexual intercourse. Just a fair warning for those who need it**

scarred

As patiently as possible, Grimmjow attended a meeting of the Espada that had been called by Aizen shortly upon his return from defeating the Court Guard. Thanks to that victory, he had a new toy to play with. And was he ever excited about it.

The man was hoping this meeting wouldn't last too long, you know, be nice and quick.

Unfortunately, it had carried on for several hours. The bluenette spent most of his time shaking his leg in anticipation of its conclusion, but this was getting ridiculous. How he hated playing the waiting game…

Upon glancing out one of the large windows across the room, he saw that it was getting dark outside. Being in the presence of the other Aizen, let alone the other Espada, was not among his plans for the night.

Gingerly, Aizen put down his cup of tea on its saucer and then looked around the meeting table at his subordinates, "I hope everyone found the tea to their liking. It was made from some of the finest plants in the lands far to the west."

"Past the Seireitei, correct?" Szayel-Apporo asked curiously.

"That's correct. I scheduled them to imported while I was away and I'm glad they made it here in time for my arrival." the brunette man said sincerely. He could talk about tea all day, if permitted.

Cerulean eyes turned to Szayel in hopes that he wouldn't add anything more to this pointless conversation.

"If I'm not mistaken, this tea tasted like it was produced from the Camellia Sinensis plant. The delivery boy must've been quite a brave one, considering he had to go through the Phantom Forest and pass its guardian to get to the Midori Forbidden Distr-"

"What the hell are we talking about?!" Grimmjow asked abruptly, and then slammed his hand on the table.

"I'd hate to agree with an imbecile, but we have greatly digressed from the main point of this meeting, Aizen-sama." Ulquiorra commented.

"You seem impatient, Grimmjow. What's the hurry?" Nnoitora asked before smirking.

"I have things to do and I don't want to sit around talking about tea all damned day long."

"_You_ actually didn't add anything to the conversation… All you did was lose your temper…" Szayel muttered.

"Can it, scientist!"

"I think you're in a hurry because of that little package you were carrying under your arm when you got back earlier!" Yammy said boisterously.

"What?!" Grimmjow asked.

"I saw you come in through the palace gates with something under your arm, hidden beneath a shroud. You weren't as careful about not getting spotted as you thought." The largest Espada smirked.

"Oooooh! What did you bring home this time, Grimmjow!?" Nnoitora asked obnoxiously, "If it's another peasant woman, I'll be sure to have my way with her before you get the chance to! Let's go see her right now!"

"What was that!? I'll tear you apart, Nnoitora!" Grimmjow spoke angrily, letting his possessive nature surface.

"What does it matter what obscure thing Grimmjow brought to the palace. If it's anything like the things he brings, it won't last long." Aaroniero chimed in.

"You must not be aware that he's kept his panther for quite a few years now." Ulquiorra corrected.

He wasn't really defending Grimmjow, he was merely pointing out the obvious.

"Spirit animals don't count! Even I still have mine!" Nnoitora said irritably, "The bottom line is, anything he brings in here will either die and rot or escape from him at some point or another. Everything hates his guts, just like me!"

Grimmjow stood from his seat, "Let's take it outside then! You and me, one on one!"

"You know you don't stand a chance against me. After all, you're only number six!"

"Then why don't you prove that rank you cling to, you pug fugly-"

"If we're finished…" Aizen began calmly before running his hand over his brunette hair, "I think this trivial spat has carried on for long enough."

"Guess that goes to show who the most mature of the Espada are." Zommari commented.

"Indeed." Aizen said agreeably.

The three quietest and highest ranking Espada, Coyote Stark, Baragan Ruizenbān, and Tier Harribel, remained silent the whole time. They were far from interested in quarreling with their counterparts, especially about the matter of Grimmjow's possessions.

Aizen stood from his seat and continued speaking, "One final thing before I conclude this meeting... I'll be going on a trip in a few days so make sure nothing unpleasant befalls the kingdom… again."

"Yes sir." Ulquiorra calmly stated.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Nnoitora grinned, showing his unnaturally long teeth.

"Good, then on that note, you're all dismissed. Have a good night."

Grimmjow was the first to get up from the table. Immediately after stuffing his hands in his pockets, he made his way out of the meeting hall without a word. The others, not nearly as excited about going back to their secluded quarters, did so as well.

Aizen watched them leave and then turned to do so himself. For now, there was no need to concern himself with the affairs of the Espada, especially when there was work for him to do. Getting through Seireitei and then through the lands to the west would be no small feat.

But that key would be his. No matter what.

* * *

Pantera, having just awoken from a very satisfying evening nap on the terrace, stretched and reared his claws. He stood on all fours and stalked into Grimmjow's over-sized bedroom in search of the man. The man had brought in something that smelled of blood earlier and it made the panther wonder if that was to be his dinner tonight.

Grimmjow bringing him a meal would make quite a statement, considering it was the palace maids who often fed him.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, his blue eyes flashed to the person lying silently on top of the blankets.

The beast walked over to the bed and put his front paws onto it to get a better look. After getting closer to the human, he could immediately tell it wasn't Grimmjow, but it was still a male. One not far advanced in age or battle experience either.

Upon further inspection, Pantera found that even though this boy didn't look like him, he smelled unmistakably of his master.

The scent of battle was heavy on him as well.

He jumped back when this orange-haired person began stirring from his sleep.

Ichigo slowly opened his eyes and felt things come back into focus around him. After sitting up, he noted it felt like the world was spinning and realized it was from the pain in the back of his head.

The boy brought his hand to the source of the pain and was shocked to find that it had been neatly stitched and covered with gauze. Said wrapping went around his head a few times, making him realize that someone had given him medical attention.

The next thing he noticed was that he was no longer in his own Court Guard uniform. He had been changed into something much more relaxed and roomy. But who would have done this?

When he tried putting his feet on the floor to stand, he fell back onto the mattress from the woozy feeling that emerged.

"Ugh…"

Pantera watched cautiously from a distance as the boy lay in place on Grimmjow's bed.

When brown eyes met his own blue ones, it appeared that they were both completely clueless about what was going on.

"Oh no… Rukia and Renji…" the boy said before sitting up once more.

The thought of them being left in the desert with life threatening wounds upset him incredibly. His inability to defeat their attacker and give immediate medical attention only furthered those feelings.

There was no way for him to save them now…

The doors of the room flew open and he turned to see who had opened them.

"You woke up sooner than I expected you to." Grimmjow commented as he took his vest off and tossed it onto Pantera.

The panther backed against the wall from the lack of being able to see and shook the vest off onto the floor before growling angrily at the man.

"Espada…!"

Grimmjow turned to the boy who was yelling at him, "I wasn't talking to you, Court Guard."

"What am I doing here!? Where are my friends!?"

"Those sorry chumps I took down in less than a minute flat? Probably dead and ten feet under by now."

Ichigo immediately stood, in spite of his dizziness, and made to draw Zangetsu. But he found the sword was no longer at his side.

"What did you do with my sword!?"

"I didn't touch your weapon, Court Guard. It's probably buried with your buddies." The bluenette said before walking over to the entrance to his courtyard and looking out to the city.

"Espada! You'll be executed for your crimes!"

"I doubt that. Before anyone can come for you, you'll probably be dead. And no one will be the wiser considering how your friends suffered that fate earlier. No one knows I killed them and no one knows I took you."

Ichigo, realizing the man was right, fell to his knees and punched the floor angrily. Were Rukia and Renji really dead? And his sword. Lying abandoned in the desert too?

"All because of _you_!" he shouted, "I'll make sure you get what you deserve for this!"

Grimmjow turned from looking outside to the boy on the floor, "Seeing as you're defenseless, I guess I won't punish you… too much."

Brown eyes went wide as the Espada began approaching him, "What do you mean by punish?" he asked.

The cerulean-haired man stopped in front of Ichigo and gazed down at him, "I mean I won't kick your ass too much when you disobey or raise your voice to me, that's what. After all, you're here for an _extended_ stay."

"Wh-"

Before Ichigo could say anything more, Grimmjow bent down and grabbed him by the arm to force him to stand. He smirked and pulled the boy out to the courtyard.

"This seems like the perfect escape, doesn't it? Nice and open, right?" he asked.

When the boy didn't respond, he gripped his arm tighter, causing Ichigo to try and pull away.

Grimmjow let him go and watched with a smirk as he sprinted over to the stone railing.

Ichigo stopped against the edge and glanced to the city below, noting how far down it was. But he had to get away. So he climbed up onto the railing and made to jump, but was forcibly repelled by an electric shockwave that sent him flying back to the ground.

"What the-"

"That's Aizen's own Reiatsu enforced shield. It surrounds the entire palace, including the quarters of the Espada. Even I, as powerful as I am, can't break through it."

Ichigo turned to the man, "You're kidnapping me!?"

"_Kidnapped_. You've already been caught. And call it whatever you want. I'm going to teach you a little thing called respect for authority…" the man grinned wickedly before stalking over to Ichigo and picking him up. He walked him back into the room, full of anticipation and excitement.

The orange-haired boy, unsure of what else to do, elbowed Grimmjow harshly in the temple which caused the man to callously drop him onto the hard floor.

After looking around, Ichigo saw the doorway Grimmjow had entered through earlier so he got up and dashed for it. But when he reached the doors, they didn't budge the slightest inch.

It didn't make sense because there weren't even locks to hold them shut.

"And that's my Reiatsu sealing that door shut. Escape is impossible for you."

Ichigo turned and became wide-eyed when Grimmjow's fist collided with his stomach. He fell forward and was surprised when the Espada caught him and gently put his hand on his back.

The last time he was this close to Grimmjow he was knocked unconscious, so he was fearful about what would happen now.

"I hit you with the hilt of my sword earlier. Didn't want you getting blood all over my quarters so when I arrived I got a medic to look at you and patch you up. She also gave you a bath and a clean change of clothes too. I _could_ have let you bleed to death but I didn't."

"Oh, well how nice of you…!" the boy said sarcastically as he panted against the man's arm.

Grimmjow effortlessly hoisted Ichigo over his shoulder and walked him over to the bed before roughly tossing him onto it.

Pantera, who had been watching the two closely, turned and walked to the stairs that led up to the terrace. He already knew where this was going.

But before he reached the top of the stairs, he glanced back at Ichigo calculatingly. This human seemed much stronger and unwilling compared to the palace concubines. It appeared as though his master had found himself a new, more defiant prey.

He continued out to the terrace and lay down against the metal railing before closing his blue eyes.

After crawling onto his bed, Grimmjow moved closer to Ichigo.

"If you let me go now, I'm sure your punishment won't be as severe as the death penalty."

"I already told you it doesn't matter. I'm keeping you here until I've broken you. I defeated you on the battlefield, and now I'll dominate you in the bedroom."

Ichigo backed away slowly, "What?! Stay away from me, Espada!"

"Espada? You called my actual name earlier when I was killing that little friend of yours. How'd you learn it by the way?"

"It doesn't matter, _Grimmjow_. You need to stop this. Nothing good will come of what you're doing."

Ignoring the boy's words, Grimmjow crawled over him, "Get out of those clothes." He said heavily.

Orange eyebrows knitted downward, "Absolutely not. I'm not into guys."

As calmly as he could, the larger man grabbed Ichigo by the arm and snatched him closer, "I don't recall asking your preference. Do what I say or it'll get really ugly for you really quick."

"Then let it. I'm not engaging in such a demeaning, abominable act with someone demented and evil like you."

Without remorse, Grimmjow ripped the shirt off of the boy and slowly took note of his bare, unscathed skin. It looked like his hands would glide smoothly across it, if he were ever to attempt such a thing.

"You got me pretty good earlier today, kid. For someone with no scars of his own, you're more skilled than I expected." He said, grabbing Ichigo's hand and pressing it firmly against his new, dark scar.

For just an instant, Ichigo allowed himself to feel sorry for this man. With his hand forcibly pressed to it, he noted the soft texture the scar held. Something like this wouldn't normally be this pleasant to the touch. Was his thick, armor-like skin already completely healed?

Grimmjow released the boy's hand, but Ichigo did not pull it away. He held it in place for a moment, noting the odd sensation now rising in his lower gut, before he ran it along the large scar slowly. One of the feelings he recognized immediately was admiration. Even for his enemy, Grimmjow was tough. That Getsuga Tensho was fired with the intent of slashing him in half, yet here he was, still intact and only sporting a scar from it.

Before he allowed himself to succumb to regret for his actions, he remembered Rukia and Renji, two of his closest comrades, who were forever lost to him and everyone back in Seireitei.

That was when he used Grimmjow's own chest to push himself away.

"Get away from me! You didn't get a fraction of what you deserved for what you did, Espada! This won't go well for you in Seireitei!"

"Fuck the Seireitei kingdom. And fuck your little friends too." The man responded coldly, before pulling Ichigo close and ripping his pants and undergarments off.

Ichigo, now exposed to the world, quickly covered his privates.

"I'm not interested in that, fool." Grimmjow said before removing his own bottoms. His penis was erect and a look of lust glimmered in his cerulean eyes. It was clear he wanted to mate, even though this wouldn't be for a reproductive cause. "Fight me and you'll never have to worry about your manhood again. I'll rip out your genitals and feed 'em to Pantera before you can even blink." He continued seriously.

A loud roar from the upstairs terrace further proved his point.

"You'll pay for this. I swear it, Grimmjow Jaegerjaques!"

"Say my name again in pain when I'm inside you."

Ichigo, not knowing how else to react, closed his eyes and turned away when Grimmjow pressed himself against his unwelcoming hole.

Grimmjow looked down to the boy and wasn't entirely sure if he should punish him for closing his eyes. After looking him over a few times, he decided against it. As long as he kept those eyes closed, he'd be his to do whatever he pleased with.

But the moment he opened them and showed signs of being conquered, it'd be game over for him.

Ichigo gripped the sheets tightly and groaned as Grimmjow slowly forced his way further into him. It was painful. This man clearly had no intention of making this a more bearable experience for him.

"I like that you're taking it like a man. And unlike the concubines, you're not afraid to let your face show how discomforting this is for you." The Espada said with a grin after going as far as he could have in the boy's unbelievably tight hole.

"Urgh…" Ichigo groaned uncomfortably.

Grimmjow was enjoying this more than he realized he would. Finally, he could prove how powerful and dominating he was to someone who he recognized as a worthy opponent. And this particular Court Guard deserved every bit of what he was getting.

"You know, if you open your eyes, at least you'll have something pleasant to look at." He taunted as he began moving in and out of the boy rhythmically.

When Ichigo did not show his deep brown eyes, the bluenette smirked.

Yes. If he kept them closed, then he wouldn't have to die. He could live in the honor that was having sex with Grimmjow forever.

And right now, forever was the perfect word to describe just how long the Espada wanted this pleasure he was feeling to last. It was truly unlike anything he had ever felt before. Much better than just imagining it, that was for sure.

He sped up and slowed down his pace sporadically, simply enjoying everything about this moment. The noises their bodies made as they collided, the look of discomfort and disgust on the Court Guard's face, the musky smell in the air, and most importantly, the tightness of the hole he was plummeting into.

"Nyhaah…" he exhaled deeply before burying his face in the pillows next to Ichigo's head. This inevitably closed the space between them, which allowed him to feel the other's fast heartbeat and panting. His smaller body rising and falling in rhythm with his own.

For some reason, he didn't feel that this closeness between them was a problem. It felt nice, being able to physically feel a heart beating unnaturally fast.

Needing to draw out more reactions, he sped up his pace and was rewarded with the displeased noises the other began emitting. It was amazing, completely intoxicating, dominating him in this way. And it would stay that way until the boy showed signs of submission.

Ichigo opened his eyes and looked out through the courtyard doorway, trying desperately to distract himself from this detestable act he had been forced into. The moon was shining brightly in the night sky and illuminating everything its light touched.

And in the distance, he could see on the horizon his home.

Seireitei. It had lost three valuable warriors on this day. Hopefully his other friends were safe and sound in their homes tonight. Hopefully they'd never ever come into contact with this brutal man.

His distracting thoughts worked until Grimmjow increased his already fast pace, making this even more painful. Ichigo adjusted himself to at least relieve some of the discomfort, which earned a growl from Grimmjow. Somehow, the Espada kept his speed for much longer than what seemed humanly possible.

"Ugh…" the larger man moaned loudly and quickly pulled out of the boy beneath him, "Drink this down, Court Guard."

With a shocked expression, mainly because he had assumed his torture was finally over, Ichigo stared at the man above him, "Excuse me?"

"Hurry up and get to it!"

"No, I won't-"

Before he could finish his retort, Grimmjow grabbed him by the throat, "Oh, you're going to."

He forced Ichigo down on him and released his essence into his mouth before sighing a breath of relief.

Ichigo was unable to swallow the fluids because of the hand tightly gripping his throat. Before he could spit them out, Grimmjow brought his lips to his which caused him to jump.

When all the contents had been taken from his mouth, Ichigo stayed nervously in place, his lips still pressed against Grimmjow's.

The man's blue eyes were closed as he savored his own taste and swallowed it down.

Was this romantic? Or was it just wrong? Despite the questions forming in his head, he didn't pull away from the man and didn't want to for some reason.

When he lifted his hand to rest it on Grimmjow's large back for whatever misunderstood purpose, he stopped when the man opened his blue eyes.

The bluenette pulled away and wiped his lips with his hand then spoke, "Get some sleep, Court Guard. I won't be as pleasant tomorrow night." He said before crawling to the other side of the bed and getting under the covers.

Ichigo sat in place, staring blankly into space before turning to look at Grimmjow's back. This wasn't romantic in the slightest. It was him being taken advantage of, simple as that. And this was something he'd never be able to get this out of his head, ever.

But the question of why he expected it to be romantic still remained. Was it because it was sex? Something generally understood, among consenting parties, to be that way?

He brought his hand up and lightly touched his lips for a moment. Grimmjow had kissed him. Even if it was to… reclaim what was his… he _had_ kissed him. His lips had touched his and that was something he hadn't expected, especially considering how malicious the Espada had been to him up until now. Although, he didn't seem to care about having kissed him that seeing as how he had wiped his lips and was now going to sleep.

With a bitter taste in his mouth, Ichigo slowly crawled under the covers and closed his eyes tight.

Rukia and Renji were gone forever, his sword abandoned along with them. And now he was being held as a sex slave for a psychotic maniac? This had to be a nightmare. It just _had_ to be. Maybe when he woke up in the morning, everything would go back to normal again.

At least, he hoped.

…

Pantera crept stealthily into the room once he knew Grimmjow and his new guest were fast asleep. As he made his way down the stairs, his eyes were glued on the human sleeping on the right side of the bed. This was certainly a new development.

The thing he wondered above all else was what was so special about this one that he was able to sleep in the bed instead of being kicked out or even made to sleep outside?

Walking over to the boy, he sniffed him a few times and was surprised at what he found. The human no longer smelled like anything apart from Grimmjow's powerful scent. Even his Reiatsu was riddled with traces of his master's.

It was surprising because even with the palace concubines, Grimmjow's Reiatsu never seemed to mingle with theirs. Not even a little. He could always tell when they were leaving because when they did, their personal energy signals faded the further away they got.

With one last glance at the orange-haired boy, Pantera quietly exited the room as if he had never entered in the first place.

It was clear that even in this short time of having him his master was already growing fond of the boy.

**I'm not entirely sure what to do to get more reviews (because they're lovely) besides writing a badass story, so that's exactly what I'm gunning for. If the chapter speaks to you, impresses you, or does anything to you in general, a review would let me know. After all, I am trying to tell a good story and the only way I'll know if that's what I'm doing is with feedback lol.**

**Thanks for the previous reviews for those of you who took the time to write one! Your opinions are always duly noted.**


	6. a certain charm

**Just thought I'd put this in here as a heads up: This will be an adventure tale as well. I can't have 3 genres listed, but there will be adventure in later chapters. I'm still in planning mode but I've got more than enough set in stone and I definitely have time to organize future events, but I hope you realize what a journey this is going to be.**

**And thanks for the reviews! To say I got 42 for 5 chapters is something. Motivation to keep this story as interesting/engaging as possible is what I'd call it.**

**So I hope you enjoy this chapter and tell me what you think afterwards.**

a certain charm

Bare-skinned and sweaty…

Ichigo, now waking from his sleep, slowly opened his eyes and stayed completely still despite how uncomfortable he was. After looking around, he could tell this was not the hotel room he'd been sharing with Renji or his room back home.

The boy sat up and stared at the unfamiliar bed and the velvet sheets wrapped around him. Then he looked at the white stone walls and the furniture. His hopes for everything that had happened to have just been a terrible nightmare were crushed.

After turning to his right, he saw that Grimmjow wasn't on the other side of the bed. Actually, after searching for his Reiatsu, he found that the man wasn't even in the area.

That was a relief of sorts. Perhaps he could find some way to escape while he was gone.

Before putting his feet on the floor, Ichigo made sure he was still functional on all ends. His head was still hurting from the hit he took, but it wasn't anything he couldn't get through. The pain that was getting to him emanated from his lower backside. As a minor medic, he knew from the moment Grimmjow had pressed against him that he'd have to deal with some discomforting after effects.

But he could get through it. If nothing else, his will to prove he could take whatever Grimmjow threw at him was what drove him to stand up and begin walking around.

Immediately, his nakedness made him uncomfortable, even though he was the only one in the room. The doors to the courtyard were open so that only furthered his want to find something to wear.

He glanced around the room and his eyes landed on a large closet.

"Perfect." He commented before walking over to it.

It came as no surprise that these were all Grimmjow's clothes, but some of the things in the closet were... unexpected to say the least. He picked a gray sleeveless vest and a pair of dark blue fitted shorts to wear. After putting them on and seeing how tight they were, he couldn't resist imagining the bluenette in these. And the thought made him giggle.

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaques in shorts…"

The boy stopped and shook his head of the thoughts. This was no time to be thinking of the Espada in any way but repulsively.

Ichigo walked across the room to the doors that were sealed by Grimmjow's Reiatsu. After pressing himself against them once more to see if they really were sealed, he found that their status had not changed since yesterday. Grimmjow must have resealed them when he left.

"No use wasting time here then…" the boy commented.

He turned to the left and stared out to the courtyard. The next thing to check was Aizen's force field. That one was so powerful it had repelled him with a jolt of electricity.

After stepping out of the quarters and into the sunlight, Ichigo cautiously walked down the stone path and approached the edge of the railing. Although it was invisible, he wasn't foolish enough to think the force field was gone and throw himself against it a second time.

The boy's brown eyes moved from staring at the large town to the higher ground on which he stood on. Then he got an idea.

Without hesitation, he picked up a handful of pebbles and tossed them in the direction of the hospital.

They stopped midair and, as expected, were violently repelled by a yellow bolt of electricity.

Trying to figure out its origin, configuration, and limitations, he did not look away from the force field until it disappeared again. It was unlike any Kido he'd ever seen Rukia use, or even her more skilled older brother, Byakuya. It was as if Aizen had created a brand new one for the sole purpose of protecting the palace.

His reasoning in doing so wasn't entirely understood by Ichigo, considering that Los Noches and Seireitei were at peace now.

"Why would he keep such a powerful shield up if we're on peaceful terms…?" the boy asked aloud.

Was he planning something…?

* * *

At hearing a disruption in Aizen's force field, Pantera woke from his sleep and yawned.

Grimmjow had been gone since earlier and he'd left that human in his bed. After using his own fine-tuned senses, he felt that even though Grimmjow was out, his Reiatsu still enveloped in that boy.

Again, he wondered what was so special about him. Thinking back, the beast considered that maybe they met in a similar way to how he and Grimmjow had met.

Flashback

_Pantera, just a few days old, stalked through the golden sands of the daunting desert in search of his mother. She had left him just a while ago and he was in need of her company, as are most young._

_After climbing to the top of a large sand dune, he found her. She was battling a deep black, tow-tailed scorpion that was nearly three times her size. And she was losing terribly._

_No matter how much she scratched, or what leg she attacked, the monstrous beast retaliated by slamming its pincers against her, knocking her back through the sand. But she would not give up. Pantera wondered why she wouldn't just surrender and fall back._

_To a newborn cub barely able to see, this was absolutely horrifying. There was nothing he could do but watch as she was defeated by it. After she slipped up, she was run through by both scorpion's telson*._

_Pantera's blue eyes watched as the monster held her in place with its pincers and stabbed her in the back repeatedly, injecting her with its venom over and over. Effortlessly, it lifted her into the air dropped her into its dark, cave-like mouth._

_Once it swallowed, its black eyes caught sight of the panther's cub just a few meters away. It immediately charged, all six legs moving supernaturally fast, and then leaped into the air._

_The sight was enough to cause Pantera to turn and try to run in fear. But he was just getting used to walking so speeding up was very hard for him._

_Just as he was about to be crushed to death, he heard an echoing clang above him._

_He turned and saw a cerulean-haired man with a pure white sword holding off the monster in midair. Both of its pincers were being blocked by his enchanting sword and he didn't seem to be giving in._

_Suddenly, he vanished and then reappeared behind the scorpion._

_Both it, still suspended in air, and Pantera watched as he brutally cut both of its tails off and they fell to the ground._

_The scorpion hissed in agony, but the man was not finished with it yet. He jumped right above its back and aimed an open palm at it. After slivers of red light appeared at the center of his palm, he fired something bright and echoing through its head._

_The scorpion's large corpse fell to the ground, and when it landed it created a large gust of sand._

_Pantera was about to be consumed by it until the man sped down, picked him up, and then dashed a great distance away._

_When he stopped, he carelessly dropped Pantera onto the ground and stared down at him with complete disdain._

"_What a worthless animal you are! I should have just let you get crushed." And with that, he turned and began walking in the direction of Los Noches, his home._

_Pantera watched him in shock as his footsteps in the sand grew in number. He was able to understand this warrior's words, just as he'd been able to with his mother. Even though he was a humanoid creature, his words had registered perfectly to him._

_He began calling out as best he could to the man, but it appeared as though he could not hear him. He tried again and again, but to no avail. Afraid of being alone, he tried one last time with much more vigor. This time, when he opened his mouth, a large gust of clear energy flew in the direction he shouted to, knocking the man face forward into the sand and sending him sliding through it._

_Grimmjow dug his face out of the sand, pushed himself off the ground with the arm that was not buried, spit out a mouthful of sand, and then turned to stare angrily at the animal._

"_Why you little-!"_

_He squinted when the cub started walking briskly towards him._

_After digging his other arm out of the sand, he stood and casually brushed himself off. There was no need to worry himself with the strange creatures of this desert. His kingdom awaited its fifth prince's return._

_He ignored the cub and kept walking in the direction of Los Noches._

"_I came to thank you…!"_

_Blue eyes went wide and Grimmjow whipped around. The panther cub was behind him, but there was no one else in the area._

"_Where did that voice-"_

"_Don't leave me alone out here…! Can I come with you?"_

_Grimmjow stared in awe at the cub. It was talking to him. And he understood what it was saying!_

"_What the hell are you?" he asked, before bending down and grabbing the thing by the ears questionably._

"_Please stop. That hurts… You're not nice like my mother, but I don't want to be alone. Can I come with you?"_

"_Che! As if! You're weak! I don't need a weakling following me around. Get lost!" the man shouted the last part in Pantera's face._

"_But I can get strong! I promise I won't disappoint you! So don't leave me alone out here…"_

_Grimmjow stood and turned away from the panther cub. Then he continued walking without a word._

_Pantera sat in place and watched him, completely crestfallen. But then the man turned and stared over his shoulder, "Are you coming or what? I don't have all day to play around with you."_

_Eagerly, Pantera stood and followed this strange warrior. And it was during his walk to Los Noches that he learned to run, because the man was not willing to slow down for him._

_One of the strangest people caught his attention when they arrived at their destination. He was pale and had green eyes. The thing he enjoyed most about him was that he was smart and he was also able to get under Grimmjow's skin through sheer condescension._

"_That's your spirit animal, you dimwitted buffoon. That's why you understood him. Had you left him in the desert, you wouldn't have had the chance to get another." The pale man stated._

"_What do I need a spirit animal for anyway? I'm strong enough on my own!"_

"_Grimmjow, I thought I discussed this with everyone a long time ago. Spirit animals give you an immense boost in strength and Reiatsu when you're in yourResurrección state." A brown-haired man said as he entered the room._

"_Is that so…?" Grimmjow asked. He looked down to the cub, "Well then, I'm Grimmjow Jaegerjaques. You'll be serving me from now on."_

"_If that creature had half a brain he'd head for the hills right now. But since he is _your_ spirit animal, I'll assume he's just as dense as you are..." The pale man commented and then left the room._

_Pantera looked up to Grimmjow, "Thank you for saving me! I won't let you down!"_

End Flashback

Over the few years he'd been with him, Pantera had grown to both love and loathe Grimmjow. His strength had always been something to admire, but after seeing what else the man was capable of, he'd grown to respect him. On the other hand, his attitude could have used a major adjustment. In actuality, they did not get along too often, but considering Pantera owed him his life, he supposed that he could be a good spirit animal for him.

Perhaps something similar was going on with him and the new human. Why else would he be here? What other purpose could he possibly serve?

Lethargically, Pantera got up, stretched his long body out, and then entered the room from his favorite sleeping spot on the upstairs terrace.

His timing was perfect.

The orange-haired human had just entered from the courtyard, and Grimmjow was coming in from the front doors.

Immediately, Ichigo turned to Grimmjow and squinted, "Are you going to let me go today?"

"Hadn't planned on it. Pantera, it's bath time." Grimmjow said, disregarding Ichigo's presence.

"Don't you ignore me, Espada!" the orange head exclaimed.

Pantera, seeing that this could only end badly, turned and quickly started to go back up the stairs to the terrace. Unfortunately, he was caught.

Ichigo stared in shock. Grimmjow had used a Sonído to catch him.

"You're not getting out of it this time!" The bluenette said with a smirk.

A growl emanated from the beast as Grimmjow carried him to the bathroom. Before he entered, the man turned to Ichigo, "You come too."

At first, Ichigo was appalled. Then he remembered what happened last night and felt tainted with guilt. Perhaps a bath would be a good idea.

He followed the other two into the bathroom and was surprised at what he found.

Unlike any bathroom he had ever seen before, this one was gargantuan in size. A large, pool-like bath tub resided in the center, one of the walls was nothing but mirror, in one of the corners there was a private area that had a shower, and finally, the ceiling was glass which allowed him to see the multitude of clouds up in the blue sky.

"_This is what royalty is used to…?"_ he thought.

His brown eyes went wide when Grimmjow undressed and cannonballed into the large pool of hot water in the center of the room. He came back up and shouted out excitedly before slicking his hair back and wiping his eyes.

The scar he received was still very prominent on his torso, momentarily making Ichigo feel bad. But then he remembered why he had done it.

Rukia and Renji had been slain by his blade. And that was something he'd never be able to forgive the Espada for.

"Gonna join me, Court Guard?" Grimmjow asked.

"My name's Ichigo Kurosaki! Not Court Guard you ass!"

"Well, Mr. Kurosaki, are you gonna join me?"

"Piss off!" Ichigo said angrily, before walking over to the private shower.

He undressed quickly, not self-conscious anymore since last night, and then stepped in.

When he turned the water on and it hit his skin, it felt like he was being cleansed. The sin of last night being washed down the drain.

Last night was something he'd never expected to befall him. He'd been dominated in the worst possible way by a manic soldier who seemed to care for nothing but himself and his own desires. Someone like that deserved the death penal-

*SPLASH*

Ichigo jumped and turned around to open the shower door. He stuck his head out to see what had happened.

Grimmjow was chasing Pantera around the room, as naked as the day he was born. As he ran he carelessly knocked decorations, dry towels, and other items into the water. The look on his face was one of eager determination as he sped after the panther. But somehow, this look seemed much more appealing than the ones Ichigo had seen before.

After catching the panther in a bear hug, the Espada jumped into the water and held him down.

Upon seeing that, Ichigo stepped out of the shower and was about to yell at him for treating the animal so cruelly. Then Pantera's tail shot up from under the water and hit Grimmjow so hard in the face it seemed like he had punched him with it.

It effectively forced the man to release his grip on him and he swam to the shallow end before climbing the stairs.

"You're getting a bath!" the bluenette shouted while rubbing his left cheek.

Pantera growled back and then he and Grimmjow had a spat. It seemed like they were arguing back and forth. Like, literally back and forth. But that wasn't possible, right? Pantera was an animal!

For a moment, Ichigo blushed and allowed himself the pleasure of admiring Grimmjow. He was a very appealing man, despite how psychotic he was. Perhaps if he wasn't always sadistically smirking, he'd be easier on the eyes.

He had a certain charm about him that was hard to miss if you were just staring at him. It helped that they weren't currently clashing blades and at each other's throats. Seeing him with that panther offered a completely different perspective. He was aggressive on all levels, that didn't seem to change, but this behavior was much more playful if anything.

That white, bone-like mask on his right cheek puzzled him. And for the first time, he actually noticed the hole in Grimmjow's lower abdomen. The other pale Espada he'd seen had the same features, just in different locations.

Was that customary for them?

Grimmjow noticed Ichigo staring at him and gave him the finger before diving back in the water.

The boy shook his head in response. Surely he wasn't actually finding another male attractive… Was he? Especially not one who had mercilessly taken Rukia and Renji down… Right?

"Argh!" Deciding to distract himself, the orange head grabbed a towel and soap then walked slowly over to the panther who watched him closely. He lathered the towel and then cautiously lifted it, which earned a growl from the beast, but he continued nonetheless.

Gently, he pressed it to Pantera's fur and scrubbed.

Surprisingly, he was not retaliated against. In fact, he was able to even get a low purr from the animal.

"You're pretty good at that…" Grimmjow commented from behind, causing Ichigo to jump.

"Well you can't just be forceful all the time."

The bluenette's blue eyes watched as the boy scrubbed Pantera. Normally, no one could get this close to the beast. Even he had moments when it seemed impossible to touch him.

When a strong hand grabbed his arm, Ichigo turned. "Wh-"

"It's time for some entertainment."

Pantera stood and shook himself dry before stalking in the opposite direction of the two. Honestly, Grimmjow was like a sex animal… And he did not intend to be near him when he smelled of mating.

Forcefully, the Espada put Ichigo down on the ground and opened his legs to make room for himself.

"Ugh! Get off of me!" the boy demanded angrily.

"Only when I'm finished with you." The man breathed out heavily.

He positioned himself perfectly, but stopped just before he entered the boy. Perhaps, since they had both just bathed, oral sex would suit the situation better.

That way he could save the real fun for later tonight.

After grabbing Ichigo by the chin, he forced him down on his erect member.

Initially, Ichigo felt like he was being choked. At some point during this forced fellatio session though, Grimmjow let up on him. Only just enough so that the head of his penis wasn't hitting his uvula.

Maybe his words about forcefulness hadn't gone in one ear and simply come out of the other.

To thank him for making this more bearable, though he didn't understand why considering this was Grimmjow's fault in the first place, Ichigo did his best at this unfamiliar activity. It wasn't too hard to manage. All he had to do was move his mouth up and down along the shaft, licking the head to give some pleasure from time to time.

The reason he wanted to please Grimmjow at all was unknown to him. He assumed it was because after actually looking at him, he'd realized how appealing to the eyes he was… when he wasn't being a maniac that is…

When his actions earned a moan from the other, he couldn't help but open his eyes and look up. Grimmjow had thrown his head back in pure ecstasy. The cracking of his toes meant this was literally toe-curling good for him.

Against his better instincts, Ichigo brought his hand up and rested it on Grimmjow's scar like he'd done last night. It was smoother than ever now. It was enough to make him run his hand along it, which surprisingly aroused him.

Immediately, he removed his hand. It was a sin to be aroused by another man and Court Guards had always been taught that sinners go to Hell. So if Grimmjow was going to burn, he'd burn alone.

"Shit…" the bluenette panted as he came.

Ichigo spitefully swallowed all of it. At least that'd be his way of getting back at the man for this, since he seemed to enjoy his own taste so much.

When Grimmjow pulled the boy up and pressed his lips to his swollen ones, he was unpleasantly surprised to find that Ichigo had already swallowed his essence.

He callously pushed the boy away and wiped his lips before standing and leaving the bathroom.

Pantera saw the door open and took his chance to leave as well.

But Ichigo sat still on the floor. He brought his fingers to his lips and blushed. The strong taste of Grimmjow was still present in his mouth, and it wasn't necessarily unpleasant.

A sudden feeling got him in the gut. He shook his head to relinquish any thoughts that weren't malicious towards the Espada. He had killed Rukia and Renji, and for someone who had done that, there was no room for pleasant thoughts.

But no matter how much he pushed them away, the thoughts of Grimmjow that weren't so full of contempt seemed to keep creeping back into his head.

* * *

*Telson – The stinger. The telson consists of the vesicle, which holds a pair of venom glands, and the hypodermic aculeus, the venom-injecting barb.


	7. in velvet he drowns

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in velvet he drowns

In addition to Ichigo's first day spent in the Sexta Espada's quarters, another three were added. Thus, today marked the fourth day he'd been kept in captivity.

Each day before, Grimmjow returned late and took all he could from the boy before they went to sleep. It had become their routine. Enjoyable for one, but conflicting and disorienting for the other.

Early each morning, Grimmjow left to hunt out past the kingdom, or meet with Aizen and the other Espada, or taunt the townspeople, kick a puppy, or do whatever the other things were that he did during the day. He'd return late in the evening and bathe for a while, on occasion, and at the end of the night, he nearly devoured Ichigo with his overly dominant, sexual tendencies.

It had gotten to the point where Ichigo wasn't as bothered with being forced into sex as he'd been on his first night, but he still thought it was still a repulsive act to engage in.

After his first arousal in the bathroom, he'd slowly began coming to terms with the fact that he found the cerulean-haired Espada attractive, even though it went against what he'd been taught as a Court Guard. They were pretty faithful to their holy book, and were instructed that people who deviated from the right path would find themselves in the deepest, darkest, most unbearable world in the afterlife.

The attractiveness Ichigo admitted Grimmjow had helped him along during intercourse, but being dominated in such a way was still sinful and demoralizing to him as a man. He was more than certain that the other man's soul would perish when he died, but as long as he fought the recurring pleasure, he assumed he'd be okay.

Currently, he was cleaning the Espada's quarters to the best of his abilities. Cleaning had never been a duty of his back home thanks to his meticulous little sister, Yuzu. But as best he could, he'd swept, mopped, made the bed, cleaned the massive bathroom, and even washed and folded the laundry.

What else did he have to do, right?

Being held captive was not the most entertaining thing that had ever befallen him, so he made good use of his time as he'd always been taught.

After most of the cleaning was done, Ichigo walked out to the courtyard and was able to observe the décor, actually taking note of it now that he wasn't avidly trying to escape this place. There were white desert flowers lining the lattice*, which stood just a few inches away from the stone walls, and the grass was actually cut and looked neat against the sidewalk. There was no way Grimmjow had commissioned or done any of this. It must have been Aizen's doing.

Off in the distance, quite a ways off from the kingdom, brisk movement caught Ichigo's attention and he spotted his captor dashing through the golden sand under the warm light of the sun. It was quite a scene really.

Grimmjow was in the midst of an intense battle with two brown scorpions that were much larger than any building he had ever seen before.

"The rumors about the creatures that live outside the kingdoms were true…" he commented under his breath.

All his life he'd heard that the size of the things that dwelled in the areas past the kingdoms were beyond comprehensible, but he'd never actually seen it for himself so he assumed they were just that: _rumors_.

With the report about the spider's attack, he assumed he'd be able to see at least one of their carcasses, but unfortunately, they had been disposed of before he arrived.

He sighed, "This is so… boring… There's nothing else to do around here but clean."

With a look of disinterest, the boy turned to go back inside.

More than anything, he wished that Grimmjow would just come back early so he wouldn't be so alone here. The panther the man kept as a pet didn't seem to be the most inviting, so he usually kept his distance from it. The feeling was apparently mutual because it didn't seem to be interested in being anywhere near him either.

A sudden red flare lighting the sky caught the boy's attention. He turned to see that Grimmjow had fired one of his Ceros through both of the scorpions at once, killing them instantaneously.

"Nice!" He said excitedly.

Immediately though, he shook his head to remind himself that the Espada didn't deserve any kind of praise. A variation of that Cero had been what he'd fired at Rukia and Renji, and that was the only reason he had defeated him.

"_Cheating bastard… Next time, there won't be anyone for me to protect. I'll defeat him for sure and never lose anyone else again…!"_

With that determined thought in mind, Ichigo left the courtyard and went back inside. Maybe he could find something else to do while waiting for some company.

* * *

For the majority of the day, and until late in the evening, Pantera stayed out on the terrace in solitude bathing in the sun's warm glow. He had no desire to be bothered with the captive human, and Grimmjow was still gone.

However, when a familiar, tasty scent reached the kingdom, the beast fought the urge to get up and break the seal on the doors to find his master.

He was approaching from the desert after his long day of hunting. The smell of scorched scorpion meat was getting thicker and thicker in the air. It filled his nose to the brim, nearly overriding his other senses in the process. The human may not have been able to smell the heavy scent, but mixed with Grimmjow's, it was all Pantera could do to bury his nose in his fur and curl up into a ball to resist it.

His avoiding of the overpowering smells didn't last too long, though.

Without any control over himself, the panther shot up and dashed through the room, past the now frightened captive, and out to the courtyard. He put his front paws on the railing and looked down through the city below. Under the streetlights lighting the roads, and through the crowds of townspeople, he spotted Grimmjow without effort. He was carrying the main body of one of the oversized desert scorpions, drawing quite a lot of attention to himself in the process.

This was certainly a treat.

Palace food from the maids was good for humans, but every once in a while, Pantera felt that it was nice to be an animal and eat freshly hunted meat.

Grimmjow must have been in a good mood to have brought something home, the animal noted.

Ichigo slowly walked out to the courtyard, but kept his distance from the menacing panther. He was curious about what made him sprint through the room the way he did. Upon looking over the railing, he saw what it was.

Grimmjow was entering the palace through the front gates with the main body of a scorpion on his back.

"At least he was smart enough to cut off the tail…"

Pantera got down, walked quickly past Ichigo back into the room, and waited patiently at the door. His tail swayed back and forth in anticipation of the delicacy he'd come to love.

The boy stared after the beast for a moment before following him.

He didn't want to seem eager to see the man, so he took a seat on the bed and picked up a book from the night stand and flipped to the third chapter of it. Might as well make it seem believable…

Grimmjow walked through the doors of his quarters and tossed the large carcass on the floor.

"There you go." He said, before closing the doors again and reinstating his Reiatsu barrier.

Pantera jumped onto the shell and broke through it, then he started pulling at the meat.

Ichigo stared at the two in disbelief.

"The hell are you staring at?" Grimmjow asked.

"You're not going to cook that for him?"

"No. I've brought him meat like this without _COOKING IT_ hundreds of time and he's still alive and kicking."

After putting down the book he had feigned reading, Ichigo stood up and walked over to the stairs that led to the terrace. Cerulean eyes followed him as he made his way outside and picked up some of the firewood.

Ichigo started a fire after mumbling the incantation to Hado 31 and a tiny red flare caught onto the wood. He was far from beginner level when it came to Kido, but he usually did what he could with what he knew of the ones Rukia used.

He stood and walked back into the room then stopped in front of Pantera, who was being unbelievably overprotective of the meat.

"I just wanna help…" he said.

"Go ahead and let him cook it." Grimmjow said with indifference, before taking off his vest.

While Pantera pulled the uncooked meat up the stairs, Ichigo stared intently at the newly revealed hole in Grimmjow's lower abdomen. It brought such mystery to him. What was it? And what exactly was Grimmjow for that matter? He had the attributes of more than just a _normal_ human…

When the man stepped out of his pants, Ichigo felt himself getting warm, particularly in the cheeks.

"The fuck are you staring at?" the Espada asked, "I'm not ready for you yet."

"Nothing…" the orange head responded irritably, and then followed the panther up the stairs.

Grimmjow kicked his clothes to a corner of the room, walked into the bathroom, and then closed the doors. He needed a bath to get all the damned sand out of his hair.

...

Ichigo watched the color of meat gradually change as it roasted over the intense, bright flames. As they danced on the firewood, he remembered the night he'd spent in Nelliel's company and all the things she had told him.

"I wonder if she even knows I'm still in the kingdom… Or where she is…" he said quietly.

Pantera eyed the boy from across the fire while eating the meat that had already been cooked. Something about this human was very peculiar. It could have been because he was the first male that Grimmjow had ever bedded, let alone kept around to _keep_ bedding.

The Reiatsu this one had was strong, yet the traces of Grimmjow's were still intertwined with his. They hadn't weakened, they actually seemed to have grown stronger as the nights passed.

After staring at the head of hair on the boy, he couldn't tell why, but it seemed like it was on fire. They were practically the same color as the flames, but he was smart enough to tell that if that were the case, the human wouldn't be sitting in place calmly.

Once all the scorpion meat was cooked and ready for the panther, Ichigo stood up and sighed. The fire needed to be put out, so he walked back inside and filled a cup with water, then returned and poured it over the flames.

"I hope you enjoy that cooked instead of… Cero flavored…" he said to Pantera, and then went back inside.

As soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs, the bathroom doors flew open and a gust of steam flooded the room.

Ichigo stepped back and stared as Grimmjow walked out, still very naked, and stalked past him to his bed. The lights went out when he took a seat on it.

Awkwardly, Ichigo continued on his way over to the bed under the moonlight coming in through the terrace, and sat down with his back to the man.

For a few moments, it was quiet. Too quiet. The kind of quiet where breathing could be heard.

"Grimmjow… I was wondering something…" the orange head said, breaking the silence.

"What is it?" said man asked, and then fell onto his back. The velvet sheets caressed his bare skin, causing him to close his eyes.

Ichigo turned and looked at the Espada's illuminated form, "You're a prince, right?"

"Correction, soon to be king. Don't forget that. If you live long enough, you'll see me be crowned."

A king. Grimmjow a king.

That'd be a kingdom to see.

Based on that display with the beggar child in town a few days ago, he imagined there would be no subjects in such a kingdom. Or, the ones who stayed would probably be felons or outlaws or something.

Grimmjow's lack of interest for the two souls he had here in his quarters proved there would be nothing but solitude in his kingdom.

After thinking about things for a moment, he also realized that no one ever visited this Espada. No one cared, apparently. Even the palace maids left the food at the doors, barely even bothered to knock. But all of that could have been on account of his Reiatsu barrier they were unable to break.

Sympathetically, Ichigo looked Grimmjow's entire form over. For such a handsome fellow, he was quite alone here. And maybe that explained why he was always gone during the day.

The _only_ reason he could sympathize with him was because while he was training under Urahara, he'd been left to fend for himself for a few days. No one had been allowed to visit or help him during that time. The loneliness was near unbearable. People need other people to survive.

"_Maybe… Maybe I could be a _little_ nicer to him… Maybe all he wants is someone to be waiting for him when he comes back at the end of the day. Although, attacking my friends and kidnapping me wasn't the best way to go about it…"_

"Lose the clothes, Court Guard." The other's raspy voice commanded.

"_Nope, he definitely doesn't deserve my sympathy."_

When he didn't hear his order being carried out, Grimmjow sat up and leaned on his arm, "Did you not hear me?"

"I did. I'm just not in the mood for your bullshit, Espada. I'm ready for you to let me go. I've got people to I need to see back home, and you've got crimes to atone for. Primarily, for killing my friends."

"That shit again? Look, I'm tired; too tired to argue with you. So just get out of the damned clothes or I'll singe everything in the closet so you have to walk around naked from now on!"

After a brief stare down, Grimmjow angrily crawled across his large bed and forced Ichigo down with his hands pinned above his head.

"You never wanna do things the easy way, huh?"

The boy turned away and closed his eyes before his clothes were ripped from his body.

Blue eyes ran across the smaller man's naked form, caressed by the white moonlight. There was no way he could resist this tonight. Even sleep had to wait in line when it came to his need to enforce his strength onto another.

When two fingers jutted into his mouth, Ichigo opened his eyes and glanced up.

For just a moment, he made eye contact with Grimmjow. Those blue orbs of his were still barely visible even through the shadows the moonlight behind him created.

But he hadn't the time to be entranced now. There were two salty fingers in his mouth at the moment, and he wanted them to be removed immediately.

When they began probing around, he nearly bit them. But he knew that'd result in retaliation and, for the sadist he was, Grimmjow would probably do something unnecessarily drastic.

After about a minute, Ichigo felt them being pulled from his mouth. Slowly, he noted.

Grimmjow ran his wet fingers along the tender lips of the boy beneath him a few times before sending them to where they needed to be. Without warning, he stuck them into Ichigo's rear end and moved them in and out, feeling himself getting aroused from the feeling doing this caused.

The orange head endured what he could, having closed his eyes tight from the surprising pleasure this was bringing him, before he felt himself growing stiff downstairs. This was so wrong, but…

The removal of the wet fingers and insertion of the larger man's penis cut him short from any thoughts he could have had.

The first few times the man slid in and out of him were a bit uncomfortable, but it grew more bearable in mere seconds.

"Ah… Yeah…" the Espada moaned, and then braced himself by putting his hands on either side of the boy beneath him.

As they carried on, Ichigo didn't know why, but the want and need to be close to Grimmjow arose. Closer than they were right now, that was. So he tightly wrapped his thighs around the man's waist and let his arms climb up and around his neck.

Forcefully, he pulled Grimmjow closer to him.

Grimmjow was surprised by this, but went along with it nonetheless. He buried his face in the pillows behind the boy's head and sped up his pace. This was admittedly better than any sex he'd had before and that was simply because this Court Guard was no concubine. He was strong. And that was what made him want to keep him around.

Ichigo turned his head and buried his nose in the soft blue hair behind Grimmjow's ear, inhaling his powerful smell.

This felt so… good… Being close like this with someone. Someone so appealing to look at, yet someone so lethal and dangerous at the same time.

Perhaps he was being aroused by the fact that Grimmjow could very well kill him, but he instead chose to keep him alive for his sexual desires. The danger of this situation, yes. That's what was getting him going.

Allowing himself the pleasure he'd previously been avoiding, Ichigo brought his right hand down and forced it between himself and the panting man above him to stroke himself. The other one gripped the dark, soft sheets tightly as he was pounded into. He was nearing his end and he knew it.

Any man in this situation, this close to climax, would give in. That was how he rationalized his actions.

When he heard Grimmjow begin to moan again and speed up, Ichigo lost himself all over their stomachs.

This caught the bluenette's attention as soon as he felt the warm liquid hit him.

He kept his pace, but closed the space between them again when the boy's intrusive hand left the scene. There was something enjoyable about having the cream between them, acting as a sort of temporary adhesive.

"Have you given in to me, Kurosaki…?" he asked, unaware that he had called the boy by his name.

"*Huff* Don't flatter yourself, Espada… *Huff*I still want you to pay for everything you've done…" Ichigo replied as he felt the last of his ejaculation leave him.

The feeling of the boy clenching around him, and the unexpected pleasure of his sperm between their stomachs, is what sent the Espada over the edge. He quickly pulled out and threw his head back as he came, letting himself shoot all over the other.

"Shit…" he moaned, and fell forward.

This was becoming more than he'd expected it to be. And although Kurosaki had come too, his follow-up comment was enough to allow him to be kept alive.

But, he was getting too comfortable with the idea of being dominated. That much had become clear. This wasn't for his pleasure. He was supposed to be dying from shame and humiliation, but unable to do anything about it. Not fucking coming.

After rolling off of the boy, Grimmjow crawled to the other side of the bed and pulled the heavy sheets over himself.

"_I'll have to find a way to make this more uncomfortable for him. Can't have him enjoying this, now can I?"_ He thought before closing his blue eyes.

Ichigo lay in place, breathing heavily and still surprised from his own climax. He looked over and stared at the covered backside of the bluenette, and then he looked down to his wet stomach.

"_What should I do about this mess?"_ he thought, already knowing what the answer to that was.

Once the deed was done, he too pulled the velvet sheets over himself. But he went a step further than the other had and brought them up to his nose. They smelled unmistakably like the sinful act he and Grimmjow had just engaged in, and he couldn't tell if that was a good or a bad thing.

"_Guess we'll both burn together…"_ he lamented.

It couldn't have been as bad as he'd first perceived it to be though, because he fell asleep comfortably with the sheets just beneath his nose, clenched tightly in his hands, and his body facing in the direction of the isolated Espada's.

* * *

*Lattice – a structure consisting of strips of wood or metal crossed and fastened together with square or diamond-shaped spaces left between.


	8. the answer

**A/N: I'm more than comfortable telling you all that I have over 30 chapters planned for this story so far. ****_So far_****. Meaning there is a lot more to come even after those. Like I said, or I think I said, I want this story to be a sort of epic so be ready for that if you're intent on seeing this story through. It's gonna be full of lots of adventure, action, fantasy, mystery, drama, and of course, romance. Since it will be so long, I'll do my very best to update at least every two weeks to keep you all attached. That seems fair, no?**

**There's so so much to come and the time it's taking to get through these introductory chapters is so... I'm just really impatient haha. But just let me warn you all, this story is gonna go places even I'm excited about.**

**Anyway, without further ado, chapter eight!**

the answer…

Day five of captivity.

After waking up and dressing himself in Grimmjow's casual clothes, Ichigo decided he would spend his day outside in the courtyard. He figured it'd be better than simply moping around inside all day. When he got outside, he sat near the stone railings. From there, he watched the townspeople going about their dayily lives in the city below, the clouds moving about in the blue sky up above, and he also got a glimpse of Grimmjow battling it out with a large, horned snake when it knocked the man into his view.

That was admittedly the best part of his afternoon.

Once he had disposed of the snake, Grimmjow used a Sonído to dash off further into the desert, leaving a large trail of dust behind him in the process.

Ichigo sighed and then looked back down to the people of the kingdom. He saw a few construction workers far off towards the southwestern end walking around on top of a building that seemed like it would be wider than it was tall. Children played near the palace gates, messing with the Arrancar guards and then scurrying off to avoid being scolded. Although many of the townsfolk still seemed depressed, many others seemed lively.

"Guess it was wrong of me to assume that no one here was happy…" the boy said regrettably.

When he turned his attention to the kingdom walls, he looked for the spot where Grimmjow had crashed into and destroyed when he rebounded off of it during their battle. But it wasn't anywhere to be seen. Had the people already repaired it? He couldn't imagine that they were that afraid of the creatures of the desert, even with the Espada here protecting them…

While Grimmjow's actions to date were unforgivable, Ichigo admitted that he was strong. Capable of protecting, if he could see past the desire to destroy. And that power of his, maybe it could one day protect a family...

... Not that _he_ would want something like that with him...

After all, what he had done to Rukia and Renji… It was just too deplorable to mention. It was something he assumed he'd never be able to get over.

But right now, Ichigo wasn't really concerned with all the terrible things Grimmjow had done. What was _most _important was whether or not someone had found Rukia and Renji and taken them to get some medical attention. With as much destruction that had been caused during their battle, there was no way that _someone_didn't notice and go to investigate. Especially the people who lived near the part of the kingdom in which they had fought close to.

And his sword, perhaps it too had been discovered. If he could ever get out of this captivity he'd been forced into, he could get the answers to these things himself. There was no doubt in his mind that he could find Zangetsu if he wanted to. A soldier and their sword were forever bound by the conjoining of their Reiatsu, so they would find each other eventually.

"I… I have to get out of here…" the boy said silently. There was no other option than that.

After a few hours of silent contemplation in complete solitude, Ichigo was surprised when Pantera made his way out of the room and he was even more surprised when the animal sprawled himself out next to him.

It was shocking to say the _least_. This was _Grimmjow's_ animal. One that initially seemed uninviting and, quite honestly, lethal. Just like his master…

For a few minutes, he watched the beast in awe and fear. It lay beside him, breathing calmly and seemed to trust him enough to actually have its eyes closed. _"What on Earthia could have brought about this sudden interest?"_ he wondered.

"Hmm..."

Ichigo decided he would test this animal. Cautiously, and feeling his heart beating rapidly as he did so, he reached his hand out to pet Pantera. Just before his hand made contact, the panther opened his bright blue eyes and looked at him. But this look actually wasn't a threatening one. In fact, unlike all the times he'd ever seen him before, this look was one of pure, innocent curiosity.

Gently, he touched Grimmjow's animal, running his hand along its soft, gray fur. After a few seconds of doing so, he actually earned a purr from it.

"I can't believe you're the same panther as the one I've seen up 'til now…" the boy smiled.

Pantera closed his eyes and turned over, signaling for Ichigo to pet his stomach. When the signal was understood and carried out, he purred even louder.

The only reason he trusted this human enough to allow for this kind of contact was because of his master. The man had taken this person in and, unknowingly, bonded with him. If the man who saved his life trusted this human enough to keep him around, then he could do the same.

The fact that this human also had thick traces of Grimmjow's Reiatsu, and his unmistakable smell all over him, only added to his growing trust.

Upon earning the audible purrs from Pantera, Ichigo smiled once more. The way he saw it, this was an accomplishment on his end. He didn't know what brought on this sudden loving behavior, but it only proved to him that he was capable of shining some light wherever he went.

And against his better instincts, he wondered if maybe he was actually meant to be brought here. Maybe he was meant to change Grimmjow for the better._"Maybe… Just maybe I was meant to be with him all along..."_ He thought.

That idea shocked him to the point where he stopped petting Pantera and withdrew his hand. He forced it back into the dark crevasse of his mind in which it had crawled out from.

There was no way he was meant to be with another man. It went against everything he'd been taught as a Court Guard. Weren't… Weren't men supposed to end up with women? The simple reason being that they were meant to procreate and carry on the human race… Right?

Grimmjow was a man. Or, he was at least something that _resembled_ a man. He had a penis and testes, and he was obviously capable of producing semen. So Ichigo, with some reservations, considered him a man.

Therefore, he came to the conclusion that what was going on between them was only a temporary thing. The thought of sleeping with another man had never crossed his mind before this experience, but he had no doubt that this was simply a trial of his dedication to the Holy Book and, most importantly, the Holy Being.

Trial or no, though, he knew he was beginning to feel _something_ for the Espada. His domineering nature, his malicious but sometimes handsome smile, his attractiveness, all of it added up to something unexpectedly desirable. And the fact that he kept a pet, something that seemed fond of him at times, said that he had the ability to take care of something other than himself.

The boy blushed deeply when he thought about his actions during intercourse last night. He had willingly given in to Grimmjow… Wrapped his arms and legs around him and pulled him closer for crying out loud!

This made him realize that he couldn't exactly keep himself in control when the bluenette was around. It was like he released some kind of Pheromone when he wanted to mate, and they were irresistibly powerful. No matter how much he detested having sex with Grimmjow, Ichigo lamented that there was always some strange part of him that enjoyed it... only a little bit, though...

Putting his minor studies of the Holy Book, their fierce battle, Rukia and Renji, and even his kingdom aside, Ichigo allowed himself the pleasure of wondering what actually being with Grimmjow would be like. He looked out to the golden desert bathed in golden sunlight, and then up to the cobalt blue sky. A smile graced his lips and the wind blew gently against him as he thought about all that could be between them.

"Ichigo Kurosaki and Grimmjow Jaegerjaques…"

Pantera glanced up at the boy curiously when he heard him speak his master's name.

The look in the boy's eyes, and the one on his face, it wasn't a scornful one.

"You know Grimmjow better than anyone, right?" Ichigo asked Pantera, "What do _you_ think of him? And… What do you think I should do? Should I stay with him, or go back home and have him punished for all that he's done? He deserves some punishment, after all..."

The panther offered no response to his questions, which was to be expected. All he did was look up at him.

Ichigo sighed, "It's just… Rukia and Renji… If he hadn't… I would be able to look the other way if he hadn't…"

The boy clenched his fists tightly. He couldn't even bring himself to say it. Something was giving him hope that the duo was still alive. Saying that they had perished would be like giving up that hope, thus losing two of the most important people in his life.

But that was the primary factor that was keeping him from _wanting_ to see Grimmjow in a pleasant way.

"Maybe… I should tell him everything I've been feeling… And he'd understand, then let me go…"

After hearing what he'd just said out loud, Ichigo laughed.

It was a laughable thing because Grimmjow would probably just laugh at him, or verbally abuse him, or go so far as to attack him.

Ichigo stood up and ran his fingers through his orange spikes before he decided to go back inside. Waiting for Grimmjow to return seemed to fall in line with the rest of the routine they'd begun, so why not do just that?

* * *

When Grimmjow did come back that night, he entered the room, ignored Ichigo completely, and went straight to the bathroom to bathe himself.

The orange-head sat on the bed, wondering if there was something going on. Usually Grimmjow at least offered some kind of greeting, even if it was often times an unpleasant one. His failure to do so tonight made their routine seem... disrupted.

Ichigo waited patiently until the bathroom doors burst open, steam flooded the room, and the Espada stalked over to him.

"Grimmjow… I… Will you let me go, at least for the night? I need to make sure Rukia and Renji are still alive somewhere. We can battle later to see who's strongest, but they need me-"

"Stop saying useless shit, Court Guard." The man said, before he pushed Ichigo down on the bed and forcibly undressed him.

The boy had to fight the urge to take in Grimmjow's moist, muscled form. But it was really hard to avoid when he was _right there_, towering over him.

When Grimmjow slid into him, Ichigo closed his eyes tight. He felt so useless. So helpless. There was nothing he could effectively do without Zangetsu's help. His meager Kido skills would be far from enough to take this Espada. And even if he was able to restrain him, the Reiatsu barrier on the door wouldn't just disappear on its own.

"Ah..." the larger man moaned.

"... Urgh..." Ichigo couldn't control his voice.

The more Grimmjow moved in and out of him, the more he felt himself losing control over every part of his body.

The dignity he tried to hold onto vanished when the larger man lifted him, and, without pulling out, shifted their position up to the head of the bed near the pillows.

When he was dropped back down, Ichigo opened his eyes. Seeing this man above him, and being able to pleasure him, surprisingly turned him on. Seemingly without control of his actions, he wrapped his arms around Grimmjow's neck again. This time, he tried something he never imagined he would.

Slowly, he lifted himself and got closer to the Espada, using his powerful neck for support. His lips were so close, all he wanted was to know what it would be like to kiss them. Just once. One time, and he would have the answer he needed about this entire ordeal.

He felt himself growing harder and harder as he got closer to the man.

As soon as their lips touched, Grimmjow near growled from deep in his throat. And as forcefully as possible, he grabbed Ichigo by the neck and slammed him back down onto the bed. He was so disgusted he stopped all movement and stared down at the boy.

"Don't get the wrong idea. That's _not_ what this is about. My fucking you only proves that you are the worthless scum I initially perceived you as. Try something like that again, and I'll rip your mouth out."

Ichigo stared at the man towering over him in complete shock. He was utterly speechless. Sure, he knew Grimmjow was a mean and heartless person, but this was just-

"Come in, concubine!"

Wide-eyed, Ichigo sat up when the doors opened, "What!?" he shouted.

A woman dressed in a silky black robe came into the room and walked quickly over to the two.

"How can I service you tonight?" she asked when she came up next to the bed. Ichigo blushed and self-consciously covered his privates with his hands.

Grimmjow turned and lifted his right hand, which caused the doors to close again. A '6' lit up in the center of them, indicating that he had just resealed them.

"_They weren't sealed this whole time?!"_ the orange-haired boy thought in shock.

"Pleasure me while I fuck this one."

"Certainly, sir. Your wish is my command." The woman said, before she disrobed and got onto the bed.

Grimmjow grinned eagerly and continued to fuck Ichigo, while the concubine ran her delicate hands along his torso and kissed him all over. She knew better than to try kissing anywhere near his lips though.

The Espada moaned pleasurably in response and increased his speed tremendously. It was almost too much for him to take!

Ichigo kept his eyes closed tight the whole time. This was unbelievably sick. Not only was he being taken against his will, but now someone was here to watch and even join in? Grimmjow was definitely one dark and twisted individual. There was no way he would ever see him as anything other than that.

Thanks to this, he now had his answer. All he needed to do was carry that answer out.

…

When the act was finished, Grimmjow, in all his naked glory, escorted the concubine to the doors and let her leave before he resealed the doors and walked back over to the bed.

He stood and stared at Ichigo for a few seconds. His back was turned to him. That was a good sign if he ever saw one. The thrill was now coming back into this affair.

With a satisfied grin, he threw himself onto the bed and got under the covers. He'd sleep well tonight, he just knew it.

Across the bed, though, Ichigo lay facing the courtyard and was far from falling asleep. The moonlight, again, showed him what he desired most: freedom. It lit up the vast desert, and he could see Seireitei on the horizon again.

He now knew that the only thing he wanted was to escape and go home. Whatever punishment befell Grimmjow at the time of his return, well so be it. It would probably be too good for him anyway.

"_Tomorrow is the time. I'll make my escape then no matter what!"_ The boy thought with a look full of contempt and steadfast determination.

**Until next chapter, dear readers! And what a chapter it will be! Please submit a review! They really do help me. It's nice to know that people care about the story enough to let their opinions about it be heard.**

**And to my faithful reviewers, thanks so much for your interest! :)**


	9. primer signo de amor

primer signo de amor

Day six of captivity.

Upon waking and finding that Grimmjow was gone, as per usual, Ichigo yawned and then stretched his limbs. As soon as he remembered what had happened last night, the boy immediately got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to cleanse himself of his shame.

Feeling fresh and clean wouldn't hurt. In fact, it could only be beneficial. Today was a big day for him, after all. He was _going_ to escape from this prison, no matter what it took.

When he got inside the bathroom, he walked over to the tub in the center of it and ran some hot water. Once the tub was filled, he dove into it and swam around a bit. It was a little strange, bathing in the same tub as someone who defeated and violated him on a daily basis, but a hot bath was a hot bath. And he had to admit, this bathroom was one of the most upscale bathrooms he'd ever set foot in.

That was strange though, because while everyone up here in the palace was pampered, the kingdom's working citizens barely seemed to get by on a bare minimum. That was so unfair…

Ichigo wondered if Aizen even cared about the people who united under him as he swam around under the clear water. If he didn't, then was there an Espada who did? If Grimmjow was anything like the rest, then he had his grim answer.

"_These people need someone who would care about them, not just someone who wants to rule them. I wonder if there's an Espada who would be willing to make sacrifices for the betterment of the kingdom…"_ he thought.

Surely, there was a selfless Espada here. There _had_ to be one.

After emerging for air, the boy noticed Pantera standing at the opposite end of the tub, just watching him.

He must have lost interest though, because he left as soon as Ichigo tried swimming over to him.

"It's so hard to tell what he's thinking…" Ichigo said, and then dove under the water once again.

Once he took a careful look at the pretty white tiles lining the bottom of the tub, he admitted that this ordeal was nice. Well… more precisely, it was nice to be at_least_ held captive by royalty; because that meant he had access to fresh, appetizing food and the living conditions weren't anything to complain about. There were worse places he could have wound up, and worse circumstances he could have been involved in, too. Though, there was no telling what Yamamoto would do once he caught wind of this predicament…

Hopefully it wouldn't trigger a war…

Grimmjow's actions could very well bring about calamities even he probably wouldn't be able to fight his way out of. The selfish fool…

Ichigo resurfaced and then started floating on his back to watch the clouds move about in the sky through the glass ceiling. This bath, this bathroom, this palace… they all seemed far too… perfect…

"I might go crazy from it all… Life just shouldn't be this easy when others have it so hard, especially when there are people struggling who're just outside this place…" he sighed.

Truly, Los Noches needed a worthy and compassionate person to take the throne after Aizen.

…

Once he was done bathing, Ichigo went out to the courtyard to spend a little time there. He sat in the grass under the bright sun and then started watching the townspeople going about their daily routines.

In the market, young women sold fruits and clothing to passersby. Construction workers walked around on the tops of new structures they were building. Old women were selling water to the exhausted children who'd clearly played themselves out for the afternoon. Gypsies danced and sang near the western edge of the kingdom, in peace, with an occasional townsperson joining them.

"Gypsies…" the boy sighed, "I wonder what Nelliel is doing right now…" he commented.

After just spending one night in her company, Ichigo had realized that there was _some_ entertainment to be found in frivolous drinking and partying late into the night.

Not that he hadn't ever partied before… Back home in Seireitei, Matsumoto's house was where someone went on a Firdas* evening to have some fun. Though, she had a usual tendency to overdo it… She was even capable of drinking Ikkaku under the table when she was serious…

He really missed everyone back in Seireitei. Coming here on Unohana's request seemed like the biggest mistake of his young life. If he had just stayed home and dismissed the request, Rukia and Renji would be okay. And he wouldn't need to question whether or not they were alive.

But… if he had stayed home, then he never would have stopped Grimmjow from killing that beggar child.

Despite the decision he had made, it seemed that someone was bound to be taken down by the merciless Sexta Espada.

Regardless of them having been effortlessly defeated by Grimmjow, somewhere out there, Ichigo knew Rukia and Renji were still alive. They just had to be. And when he thought optimistically like that, his coming here seemed to have done more good than he'd expected it to have in his having saved the child and helped the people in the hospital.

When he heard footsteps approaching from behind, the boy turned.

It was Pantera again. The beast stopped as soon as its presence was noticed.

"Hey there." Ichigo said calmly and invitingly.

Pantera stared at him blankly. He merely took a seat and then watched him for a while.

Ichigo grew uncomfortable with those bright blue eyes that seemed to see right through him. It was as if this animal knew he was planning to escape… Or… it was as if he knew he was _going_ to escape and he was offering his goodbye…

Unable to fully trust the animal with his back to it, he turned to keep him in his peripheral. They sat like that for about thirty minutes, but when Pantera yawned, Ichigo turned. He watched as the panther stood up and left the courtyard, retreating back into Grimmjow's quarters.

For some reason, he felt guilty. Just when he was starting to get attention from this otherwise uninterested panther, he was about to abandon it… in a sense…

"But I don't belong here. You'll be fine with Grimmjow." He whispered, his voice being carried away by the light afternoon winds.

Grimmjow…

The thought of the Espada left a bad taste in Ichigo's mouth in every possible way conceivable. The guy was egotistical, unmerciful, dangerous, heartless, and far too selfish for him to ever be able to see in a positive sense.

And thanks to him he'd never, ever be the same…

"I can't believe myself… I can't believe what I've become… I'm nothing but his sex toy, waiting for him to return for me…"

The boy gripped a handful of the green grass beneath him and ripped it up. He was angry. So very angry. After all his training and all he had gone through to become a Court Guard, this was what he'd been reduced to? "Nothing more than a bird in a cage…" he said through gritted teeth.

Even though he was angry, he was also confused. Which also happened to be part of the reason he was angry.

Sure, he was livid about Grimmjow's having attacked his friends and then his having taken him captive, but he was also upset with himself. And that was because of his own actions. At some point during this… experience… he had pretty much surrendered to Grimmjow. Given himself to him willingly because he had been able to feel pleasure in the intercourse they'd been having. And that disgusted him.

The thought of one man submitting to another and having his own will overpowered… it just didn't seem right.

Though unnatural, the Holy Book had taught that there were some men who allowed such a thing to happen. The reason why they did such a thing was not provided, though.

"_I can only assume it would be because the one submitting assumed he was in love with the dominating one… But that's just… absurd. One man can't love another man in the same way he could a woman… Humans weren't built to be that way…"_

Even as he thought it, Ichigo didn't feel much truth in that simply because it was what one of the ancient predecessors had proscribed as being moral and wholesome a long, long time ago.

The obvious person who he found to be an exception to the rule was his comrade, Yumichika on the Eleventh Court, who had openly admitted to having feelings for Ikkaku of that same court. How could someone condemn him for admitting to what was coming from his heart? And it was a benevolent thing at that! It wasn't like Yumichika aimed to kill someone with his emotions, hopes, and aspirations.

It was cruel and _im_moral how someone could just say that he was wrong for being _human_. What he was feeling was invalid because it wasn't _normal_?

"_Who wants to be normal, anyway? Normal never inspired anyone…"_

"Oh, kami… What on Earthia am I thinking…?" the boy asked aloud, as if he was losing his mind.

Blasphemous, that's all this was. Even though it was only mentioned about three times in their Holy Book, homosexuality was an abominable thing. Thinking otherwise was outright… well blasphemy.

What he'd been doing here with Grimmjow was sin. And even if he wasn't the most faithful person, he knew sin was sin. And sinners are said to be faced with their sin once they die, suffering to no end for the rest of eternity.

That was the whole reason he couldn't fully find pleasure in sleeping with the Sexta Espada. Even _if_ he'd ejaculated on more than one occasion…

"… Change of subject... I need to find a way to get out of here." the boy spoke calmly.

Brown eyes glanced at the pebbles lying on the ground that he'd tossed at Aizen's forcefield a few days ago. There was no way he could break that barrier. Especially without Zangetsu…

The obvious escape route was back inside the room. If he could somehow destroy Grimmjow's Reiatsu forcefield on the doors, then he would be able to find Rukia and Renji and take them to Inoue.

For the rest of his time in solitude, Ichigo focused on ways he could possibly break the forcefield. Though, he didn't come up with much…

* * *

The sun was now setting far off in the west, signaling the end of another day in the desert kingdom of Los Noches.

Grimmjow walked down the halls of the palace, heading to his room for another night of pleasure with his little toy.

After a pitiful sparring session with a few of the lower ranking Arrancar, he decided he needed something a little more challenging to dominate. Who better than his little Court Guard? The battles they engaged in at night were far more pleasurable, anyway.

He entered his quarters and then closed and resealed the doors. His captive was out in the courtyard, he noticed.

The urge to take him now instead of bathing first overcame him. With a smirk, he made to do just that.

Just before he reached the doorway to the courtyard, a tug at his pant leg stopped him.

The man turned to see Pantera standing behind him, "What do you want? I'm about to get a little busy. If you want a bath, you'll have to wait a while." He said tauntingly.

"That's not what I want and you know it…" the panther responded telepathically.

"Then I'll get back with you in a bit. Let me get on with my entertainment." Grimmjow stated dismissively, and then continued on his way to his prey.

"He's planning to overpower you and destroy your barrier, you know."

The Espada stopped dead in his tracks and turned to stare at Pantera. How laughable a thought an attempt like that would be. "That'll never happen." He said confidently.

"I can… feel it… Something's going to happen before the end of the day… I think you should keep your wits about you and leave the boy alone for tonight…"

"I don't have time for your chit chat at the moment. I'm horny as hell, and you're not helping me solve my problem."

"Grimmjow. Heed my advice or you will definitely regret it…"

The bluenette stared at the panther seriously. He wasn't usually the type to joke around, especially about something like this. He then turned to stare at Ichigo's backside as he sat in the grass, basking in the orange glow of the sunset. Against his own powerful sexual needs, Grimmjow bit his lower lip and gave in... a little… "Fine… I'll bathe _first_ and then get down to business."

Pantera turned and headed up the stairs. That wasn't what he'd meant by 'leave the boy alone'… But if Grimmjow was going to be stubborn, then come what may to him.

"He _had_ to go and ruin my fun…" Grimmjow stated irritably.

After standing his sword against the wall next to his bed and stripping out of his clothes, he entered the bathroom and filled the tub with steaming hot water. Immediately, he canonballed into it then came up and shouted out excitedly. He was excited because with the Court Guard, unlike the Arrancar, he didn't have to hold back considering the battle they would have was of a different kind.

Eagerly, the man lathered some soap onto a washcloth and then scrubbed himself all over. As he did, for just a curious moment, the Espada wondered how Pantera felt when he got bathed by the Court Guard. He'd seemed not to mind, which was pretty unexpected. Pushing those pointless thoughts to the back of his mind, Grimmjow ducked under the water to get rid of the soap, then came back up and floated around on his backside, letting the calmness of the evening sky above consume his thoughts.

There was only so much he could take, though.

"Enough of this… I've waited long enough…" he said impatiently, and then swam over to the steps.

Fervently, he dried himself off. Without hesitation, he walked over to and opened the doors, then left the bathroom, letting the steam follow him into his bedroom.

And then he saw him. The Court Guard. Kurosaki.

Sitting patiently on the bed and reading a book.

With an eager grin, he spoke. "Get out of your clothes."

Ichigo stared nervously at Grimmjow as he stalked over to him, his heartbeat increasing with each step the man took. This was his chance. Between now and tomorrow morning, he had to make his great escape, somehow...

Near shivering with anxiety, he slowly disrobed, laid back on the pillows, and then closed his eyes.

After a few moments of nothing happening, he grew impatient. And he actually started blushing when he realized that Grimmjow was looking him over.

"G- get on with it already!"

Again, he waited for something to happen. It took a second, and he was about to open his eyes and say or do something, but a finger at his rear end stopped him.

"I see you're becoming more and more obedient… I don't know if that warrants me cutting off your head or keeping you around to torture you some more for it." He heard the man above him breathe out.

"Just… get on with it… I'm tired and ready to go to sleep…"

"Oh it's definitely coming, kid." Grimmjow said, and then removed his finger from the boy's tight hole.

Ichigo opened his eyes slightly when he felt the familiar head of Grimmjow's penis entering him. He could see that the man was looking down the whole time, paying close attention as he made his way inside of him. He looked so… so concentrated and…

"_No… he's not handsome! I won't try to-"_

"Gonna try to kiss me again, Court Guard?" Grimmjow asked, and then stared straight into the boy's barely open eyes, "You know what'll happen if you do."

"_How did he know I was looking at him…?!"_

Along with his shock at Grimmjow's unexpected perception, Ichigo was slightly appalled. The thought of him thinking he wanted to kiss him again… It was so true the boy turned away to hide the embarrassment shown on his flustered cheeks.

It was then that he saw it.

Grimmjow's sword, leaning against the wall on the other side of the bed. That was it! That was his ticket out of here, he just knew it!

If only he could reach it!

Quickly, he pushed Grimmjow off of him and crawled closer to the other side of the bed. Trying to keep his true intentions hidden, he made it seem as if he was challenging Grimmjow to catch him.

It appeared to work because the Espada looked at him curiously for a second, and then quickly crawled over to him. He gripped the smaller boy by the neck and spoke heavily, "There's nowhere you can run to. Just lay back and take it like you always do."

"Let go of me!" Ichigo shouted, and then started grabbing at the larger man's arms. This all had to seem real, otherwise, who knew what the consequences of him being found out would be…

"… Wanna bathe me sometime? Wait, that wasn't a question… it was an order."

"Wh-what…?!"

Where the hell did that come from? It was so out of place Ichigo couldn't help but feel that it held a bit of humor. This Espada was clearly not a people person, his conversational skills proved that. He grinned, forgetting his plan for a second, until the other opened his mouth again.

"You seem so good at doing useless shit like that. I might as well get the most use out of you as possible." Grimmjow said with a grin, and then moved in a little closer.

"Uh-! F- Fuck you, Grimmjow!" the smaller boy shouted, and then reached out to grab the sheathed sword. Upon obtaining it, he made to draw it. But the immediate expression of pure confusion all over the other's face caused him to halt his actions.

His arms actually trembled a bit from the thought of killing Grimmjow in such a quick and merciless way, which made him release the white sword. It was at that exact moment he realized that he wasn't going to be able to do it. No matter how much Grimmjow hurt him, he realized he probably wouldn't ever be able to kill him. And with that in mind, Ichigo readied himself for his punishment-

*CRASH*

"YO, GRIMMJOW! I got a bone to pick with you! And Tousen has called us for a meeting, so get your ass up!"

Both Ichigo and Grimmjow immediately looked to the doorway where the heavy doors crashed noisily to the ground.

Pantera came inside from the terrace and stared down at the person who had caused the commotion in his master's room.

"Oh! What's this!? In the middle of gettin' your freak on, I see!"

"Yammy, you fucking bastard!" Grimmjow shouted crossly.

"Give the girl to me and I'll show her just how inadequate a man you are!" Yammy said, and then stepped inside the room.

Ichigo was surprised when Grimmjow put his arm around him protectively and pulled him closer. So close in fact, his nose and lips pressed against the other's warm chest. This was so unexpected. And so was what he did in response.

Against his earlier convictions about this Espada, he lifted his hands and gingerly rested them on Grimmjow's back.

The man felt so nice to the touch as he caressed his tan skin. This felt so… so good… being this close to him like this.

But he was no fool, and the feelings he was currently having did not sway him from his objective.

"_This is my chance!"_ he thought, realizing that this distraction was a miracle among miracles.

Inwardly, he apologized for what he was about to do. Then, without hesitation, he kneed Grimmjow square in the groin.

The larger man's blue eyes widened and he doubled over in pain on top of the boy, "Fucking bastaaard…!" he hissed.

Ichigo used all his strength to lift Grimmjow's heavy frame up and saw that he was near blue in the face from the intense pain. With the time he was allowed, Ichigo did something completely irrational and startling. He leaned up and pressed his lips to the man's for a brief goodbye kiss. Then he pushed him off, hopped out of the bed, picked up some clothes, and then made a break for the exit.

He slowed down when he noticed how large the boisterous man who had broken into the room was.

"_I can't take this guy without a weapon…!" _he thought anxiously.

"A- A MAN?! Grimmjow, you were bedding another man?!" Yammy shouted. He was so shocked he didn't know what to do. So he did nothing.

Ichigo saw his chance and dashed past him through the doorway, and then he ran straight down the dark hallway.

…

In a hall of pillars, Ichigo stopped for a moment to catch his breath. He decided it would probably be best to put on the clothes he had swiped on his way out of Grimmjow's room.

After doing that, he started to step out from behind the pillars, but when he saw a man with orange ties around his neck and shoulder across the hall, he stopped.

Heart racing a mile a second, Ichigo felt like all hope was lost. There were probably more Espada around if they were about to meet like the large one had said.

"_I'll never get out of here!" _he lamented.

"I- Ichigo?!" a girl's voice whispered uncertainly from a ways behind him.

Said boy turned and stared down the row of pillars that he was on. It was a bit dark, but once he saw that the person who had called him was none other than Nelliel, the gypsy girl, his brown eyes widened.

When she saw that it was indeed Ichigo, she ran over to him and grabbed him in a tight hug.

"Oh I'm so glad you're okay!" she squealed.

"Nelliel! What are you doing here?!" the orange-head asked in a lowered yell.

"I came to find _you, _duh…!"

"Find… me…?!"

"Mhm!"

"H- how did you know I was here?"

The teal-haired girl smiled and pulled from behind her his prized sword that she had strung over her shoulder.

"Z- Zangetsu!?"

"Oh, that's its name? I suppose that fits… It's a beautiful sword, y'know."

Ichigo was near speechless. With his sword, he could escape for sure!

"You're my saving grace, Nelliel!"

Said girl gave him the sword and sighed exhaustedly, "You have _no_ idea how much work I've been doing for the past six days! So much travelling!"

"Nel… if… if you found my sword… did you… find my friends, too?"

"The obnoxious redheaded guy and the short girl? Yup."

"_Oh kami! Thank you!"_ Ichigo inwardly shouted.

"You seem like you're trying to get out of here… Am I right? Why don't I take you to the exit and I'll tell you all about what happened."

"Y- yeah! Good idea."

* * *

It didn't take long for the two of them to reach the palace gates. Ichigo held Zangetsu tight in his hands, allowing himself the pleasure of smiling a smile of relief.

Rukia and Renji… they were okay!

"… But how…? What happened, Nel?"

"Ichigo, did you fight with that Espada?"

"Yes, that's why there was so much destruction around the area where you found my friends and my sword."

"Oh… uhm, that's not really what I meant, but that explains that part."

"Where are Rukia and Renji now?!"

Nelliel grinned confidently, "I took them in the direction your sword showed me. Which was to another kingdom, surprisingly."

"S- Seireitei?!"

"Yeah! That was the name of it! Your sword shot out a barely visible Reiatsu trail which led me there. I took your friends to a girl it pointed me to, and she healed them up. That was about… um, three days ago…?"

"Did my sword lead you back to me?" Ichigo asked. He never knew it was capable of such things.

"It did. But when I got close, it stopped guiding me… That was near the palace, so I knew you must have been in here. I think it stopped because of that unfamiliar Reiatsu laced with yours. It must not fully recognize you."

"Reiatsu laced with mine…? What are you-"

"Hey! I know that Reiatsu, actually! It's the Sexta Espada's!"

"WHAT?! HIS REIATSU IS MIXED WITH MINE?!"

"Yeah… it's… not as unusual as you might think, Ichigo. The fact that you couldn't tell says something important…"

Said boy stared down at his hands in order to try and see if he could make out the difference in Reiatsu, but he couldn't. What was Nelliel on?

"I don't feel anything different…" he said in a voice full of uncertainty.

"Oh kami… That's… Oh Ichigo!" Nelliel shouted, and then hugged him tightly again.

"Nel… I can't… breathe…!"

"Ichigo! It's the primer signo de amor!"

The boy pulled himself free and fell onto his rear end to catch his breath. Once he did, he looked up at the other questionably, "What the hell does that mean?"

"First sign of love, you fool!"

"L- love?! Grimmjow!? Are you _out of your mind_?! You've been drinking, haven't you!?"

"I'm serious as a heart attack! When two people's Reiatsu mingle and linger on one another, it means their bound by fate to each other. It's not usually considered love, but _I_ think that's what it means if the two cannot detect the mingling, being the optimist I am. If there is a bonding, which I can see that there is, then that only means you were meant to meet more than once and will eventually fall in love! This bonding strengthens during intense physical contact between the two involved, so it's obvious you've fought with, and most likely, did the nasty with the mean ol' Sexta. Love will conquer all, Ichigo!"

After staring at her and seeing that she was firm and serious in this belief of hers, Ichigo erupted in a fit of laughter, "PFFFFFT! BWAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAAA!" He had to hold his sides from the foolishness of that idea. His cheeks grew warm, extremely warm. He felt like he would explode from the pure absurdity he'd just heard.

"It's not funny! Nobody ever listens to gypsies until what has been foretold comes to fruition. You'll see!"

Once he had calmed himself down to a level at which he could speak, Ichigo responded, "You're- heh- a great comedian, but- heheh- I don't really have time for jokes right now, Nelliel. I have to go. Grimmjow won't take long to recover, and he'll probably come after me if I'm still here."

"I'm telling you! Don't doubt me, Ichigo!"

"Nel, I'll drop by here again sometime to visit and joke around with you. But now I have to go back home."

"You're going to regret laughing at me."

"Thanks for all the help." Ichigo smiled and then grabbed the short girl into a warm hug.

"Wait, you're leaving now? As in _right now_? All alone? This late in the day? There are so many dangers out in the desert! Take me with you, I can help!"

"I'll be fine with Zangetsu at my side. Besides, you've done enough for me already, so stay here and relax for a while. I will definitely see you again, I promise."

"Ichigo...!"

"Take care of yourself, Nel."

With that, Ichigo Flash Stepped out of the palace and headed straight for the exit of Los Noches kingdom. Seeing his friends again was his top priority right now.

"TAKE SOME WATER WITH YOU! AND BE CAREFUL!" Nelliel shouted after him.

With a smile on his face, Ichigo felt like Seireitei was pulling him back to it as the desert winds whipped past him. He was finally going home!

"Wait for me, everyone!" he shouted excitedly.

* * *

*Firdas – Earthia's Friday.


	10. reprimand of relief

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reprimand of relief

For two days and two nights, Ichigo had traveled through the near searing desert with Seireitei in his sights. During the days, he had Flash Stepped himself out of Reiatsu, and during the nights, he rested to allow his energy to recover. For some reason, when he used it, he found that he had more Reiatsu than he normally did. It _may_ have had something to do with what Nel said… A mixing of his and Grimmjow's Reiatsu, or something like that. Though she seemed so confident about it, he couldn't sense or believe it at all.

Whatever the case, he was moving at a breakneck pace.

On his expeditious journey, when the moon had been high in the dark, star-filled sky, Ichigo curled up to keep himself warm as he slept. It was hard when there were no comfortable velvet sheets for him to bundle up under… It was cold and very, very lonely.

At the moment, with the sun beaming down on him from its highest spot in the sky, the orange-haired boy made tracks in the green grass. He had successfully gotten through the desert without incident, and was now in the familiar, lush greenery that surrounded Seireitei. He could tell he was only minutes away from it, which meant Rukia and Renji were close.

He had to see them, and soon.

Up in a lookout tower on the kingdom gates, two of the guards saw him coming and used binoculars to make sure he wasn't an enemy. The unmistakable bright orange of the boy's hair let them know exactly who he was.

"It's- it's Kurosaki! Kurosaki is back!" one of them shouted excitedly.

"I'll go inform the gate guards!" the other said, and then hurried down the stairs.

Ichigo smiled and came to a skidding stop when he saw someone come out from the admissions post to greet him.

"You're Kurosaki, right?" the guard asked excitedly when the boy stopped in front of him.

"Yeah. I'd prove it, but I lost my badge… and my uniform…"

"That's okay, I recognize you from your hair… and the missing person's report that was filed three days ago."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow, "Missing person's report?"

"Yeah! Rukia and Renji filed it after waking up from being healed by your friend."

Forgetting the fact that he had been filed as missing, the orange-head nearly jumped onto the guard enthusiastically, "Where are they right now?! Tell me, please!"

"Um… Well after being treated, they were both taken to their respective courts to recover. I think they're still there-"

"Thank you!" Ichigo shouted elatedly. Without waiting to hear anything more, he practically put the rest of his Reiatsu into a big Flash Step in order to speed through the massive Karakura division of Seireitei. His friends who resided here could be visited after he had seen Rukia and Renji.

* * *

On her break from patrolling the Karakura division of Seireitei, Senna, a kind-hearted firecracker of a girl, sat at one of the popular sandwich shops in the downtown area. After finishing the last of her lunch, she threw the trash into the garbage can and then walked out into the street. With a yawn and a stretch, she sighed, "Ugh, I don't wanna go back to work… But at least it's just for another three hours. And I do have another twenty minutes to be on break."

When she looked up, she was surprised to see Ichigo practically _flying_ in her direction.

He was one of her closest friends, and he had also given her the pretty red ribbon that was tying her hair back.

"_I'll never stop him by shouting out to him…" _she thought with a smirk.

When he got close, she jumped out and countered his brisk Flash Step with one of her own.

They smashed hard into each other, forehead to forehead, and were both sent flying in two different directions. She crashed into a fruit stand, completely demolishing it, and then tried to get up quickly to avoid confrontation. However, the owner came out of her store and grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Hey, that was a brand new stand! My husband just built it two days ago!" the portly woman shouted.

"I- I'm so sorry! I was sparring with my friend and somehow I landed here when he hit me. I'm not very strong, you see…" the orange-eyed girl said innocently.

"Oh dear…!"

Ichigo, who had tumbled into a large pile of newspapers, stood up and held his head in pain. He ran over to his fellow Substitute Court Guard. "Senna! What the hell was that?!"

The boy looked around at the mess that had been caused and blushed in embarrassment.

"Morning Ichigo! I'm so glad you're not dead out in the desert or something!" Senna said, and then grabbed him by the arm to stand up.

Ichigo helped her and then folded his arms when she was on her feet. "Senna, you wanna tell me what that was about?!"

"It was the only way I could catch you as fast as you were moving! You're not supposed to be Flash Stepping through the city, anyway! Remember?!"

"I was just going to see Rukia and Renji…"

"Really?! Let me come with you! I'm so bored!" the girl said excitedly.

"… Okay… Let's go! Don't fall behind!" Ichigo stated affirmatively, before he ran out into the street.

"Hey, you little faker! You weren't sparring! Get back here!" the woman shouted when Senna followed after her friend.

Ichigo hesitated for a second, wanting to resolve the problem, but Senna grabbed him by the arm and then took off with him. "Later!" she said to the fruit saleswoman.

Through the air the two substitutes sped, creating strong gusts of wind in their wake. With her arms outstretched freely to cut through the wind, Senna smiled warmly under the sun next to Ichigo.

"I'm really glad you're back, Ichigo!" she shouted happily over the sound of the wind.

When he left Seireitei in response to Captain Unohana's request, she knew it would be much less interesting around the kingdom.

"I'm glad to be back!" the boy responded gaily. "I've missed everyone so much!"

…

As soon as they landed at the entrance to Seireitei Headquarters, Ichigo and Senna were surrounded by their colleagues.

"Ichigo! We're all so glad you're back!" Hinamori Momo, Vice Captain of the Fifth Division, said.

"Ichigo dear! Did you actually get to meet one of the princes of Los Noches?! Was he hot?!" Rangiku Matsumoto, Vice Captain of the Tenth Division, shouted from a balcony.

"Senna…" Ichigo whispered.

"What?" said girl responded.

"I need a distraction…!"

"Leave it to me!" Senna said, and then drew her weapon, "Help me out, Mirokumaru!"

With one swift swing of her sword, she summoned a powerful gust of wind that blew everyone in the vicinity down.

"Hey! I could've fallen to my death!" Rangiku shouted while kneeling and holding on to the railings of the balcony.

Ichigo saw his chance and dashed off in the direction of the Head Captain's office.

"Thanks, Senna!" he called out with a wave as he ran.

"Yeah, yeah! Hurry up! I don't have long before my break is over!"

…

Moving as fast as his feet could carry him, Ichigo tore through the breezeways of Seireitei's thirteen courts. The officers who caught a glimpse of him called out to him merrily, saying how pleased they were to see him back.

One call, however, really caught his attention, "Ichigo! Rukia is looking for you!" he heard Jūshirō Ukitake, Captain of the Thirteenth Division, say.

"Where is she?!" he asked, and came to an abrupt stop.

"She's in the Kuchiki mansion, meditating by Captain Kuchiki's request since she woke up just yesterday. She's been very eager to see you. I'm glad to see you're okay, by the way." The white-haired man said.

"Right! Thank you, Captain Ukitake!" Ichigo responded.

Without another word, he turned and hurried off in the direction of the sixth court where the Kuchiki mansion was located. He couldn't get over the excitement that Rukia and Renji were alive. Grimmjow hadn't killed them…

"_Grimmjow didn't kill them!"_ He thought with a near unnoticeable smile.

He decided to run, instead of Flash Stepping, in order to mask his Reiatsu until he could shake Grimmjow's apparently lingering one. If Nel had noticed a change in his energy, he had no doubt his friends here would.

* * *

"Ichigo!" Senna called clamorously as she hopped over the rooftops.

The orange-haired boy looked up at her just before he entered the Kuchiki mansion, "Senna? You followed me?"

"Definitely not by _normal_ means! I ran into Captain Ukitake and he told me you were heading here. Are you hiding your Reiatsu? Because I couldn't detect you at all... The only reason I saw you was because of that carrot top of yours." The girl said, and then jumped down next to her target.

"I don't have time to explain… I'm going to visit Rukia right now."

"Rukia? Let me come too!"

"Sure, let's go."

Through the halls of the overbearingly large mansion the two of them walked, Senna making comments on some of the decor the whole time.

"Can I help you?" Byakuya Kuchiki, Captain of the Sixth Division, and Renji's superior, asked as he rounded a corner with a cup of tea.

"Captain Kuchiki!" Ichigo said, and then bowed. "I'm here to visit-"

"You're Kurosaki Ichigo, are you not?"

"Um, yes! And this is Senna! We're just here to-"

"It is good to see that you are back. Now Rukia won't be so depressed anymore." The man said. Although he didn't smile, it was clear that he was relieved.

"Where is she, anyway?" Senna asked, feeling ignored and therefore not caring for niceties.

"Rukia is in the garden. You should find her if you go through the living room."

"Th- thank you." Ichigo replied, and then carefully continued through the large mansion with Senna.

When they stepped into the living room, Ichigo felt as though he was witnessing the sunrise a thousand times over at the sight of Renji and Rukia sitting out in the garden. As quickly as he could, he walked over to them and got down on his knees in a groveling position with his head to the ground.

"Rukia! Renji! I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you! I'm gonna visit Urahara and request he help me train some more so I won't see you guys hurt ever again!"

"Ichigo…" Rukia muttered. "You don't need to-"

"Get up off the ground, you idiot! We're fine! That Espada just caught us off guard. That's the only reason we fell to him." Renji said with a scowl.

"But-"

"Renji, you sure can be insensitive." Senna said as she approached.

"You brought _her _with you?" the redhead brooded.

"We're fine. You shouldn't beat yourself up for our sake." Rukia smiled.

"That's right, baka! We're not as useless as you think we are!"

"You guys…" Ichigo said, and looked up to them cautiously.

"By the way Ichigo, where is your Reiatsu?" the violet-eyed girl asked.

Said boy lowered his head again and answered her with his head facing the ground, "I'm concealing it so I won't be found. Everyone's been hassling me and they'd never leave me alone if they could find me… But all I wanted was to see you two again before that happens."

"Oh…"

"I'm so glad you're both okay…"

Renji shivered at the memory of exactly why that was, "Yeah… It was all thanks to that gypsy girl… She healed us as best she could with her spit so we could travel. Her _spit, _Ichigo! She also used your sword to guide her here somehow." When he noticed that Zangetsu was with its rightful owner, he smiled, "I guess she was a friend of yours."

"Yeah. She is. I can't believe I worried all that time for nothing."

After remembering the fight Ichigo had been forced into, Rukia decided to ask him about it. "What happened between you and that Espada?"

"That's right! Did you win the fight?!" Renji immediately asked.

In his position, the boy was glad that Rukia, Renji, and Senna couldn't see how red his cheeks were. He could feel them. It was as if they were burning like fire in the desert.

"Well… I… He…"

"Despite what happened, Head Captain Yamamoto and Aizen are supposed to be discussing how to deal with the actions of that Espada today over a spiritual wave." Rukia interrupted when it became obvious that he hadn't won the battle.

Ichigo looked up quickly at her, "Really? I- How did the old man find out-"

"_I _told him." Renji said seriously.

"Renji…?"

"I woke up yesterday, just a little before Rukia did. I didn't want her to have to retell what happened, as painful as it was just thinking about it, so I went to the Head Captain and told him everything."

"He limped his way through the courts to get to his office… It was hilarious! You should have seen it." Senna giggled.

"Shut up!" the redhead exclaimed, and then folded his arms.

"Renji, how much of our battle did you see?" Ichigo asked.

Had he seen Grimmjow defeat and kidnap him?

"I blacked out just as it started… The Head Captain was mainly interested in that psycho's having attacked Rukia and me unprovoked. That's why he's going to talk to Aizen. So he can be sure we won't be going into battle with Los Noches again."

Ichigo pushed himself up and looked in the direction of the First Court. "I… I have to go." He said, and then stood up.

"Ichigo…" Rukia said.

"I'm… really glad you two are okay. I can't tell you how relieved I am. But I need to talk to the Head Captain. So please don't follow me. That includes you, Senna."

"Me? W- what did I do?!"

"I need to do this alone. But I'll be back later, and maybe we can all go out for sake."

Renji flashed a toothy grin, "What's gotten into you? You're not one to drink if it's not the weekend."

"I'm just… I don't know… I guess I'm just glad everything is back to normal." the boy smiled.

Without wasting any time, he left the Kuchiki mansion and headed to speak to the Head Captain.

* * *

With each step he took down the halls of Yamamoto's head office, Ichigo oddly felt himself losing the will to actually inform the old man of what had happened to him in Los Noches. It was fairly degrading and emasculating, after all.

Rukia and Renji were alive, and that was what was most important now. Why did anyone need to find out that he had been forced into sex? If he was completely honest with himself, he had enjoyed it… well, _some_ of it… Just touching someone and being physically close to them helped him feel like his experience wasn't _so_terrible. Grimmjow was handsome too, and surprisingly protective. The menacing panther the Espada kept as a pet had even started to grow fond of him.

Everything that happened to him in that room... All of it hadn't been so appalling.

Coming to a complete stop just outside of Yamamoto's office, he decided, with great contemplation, that he would keep the forced intercourse part to himself. Grimmjow would still most likely face some kind of punishment for what he had done to Rukia and Renji. That was enough.

"_I guess I should tell him about our fight, though…"_

Just as he made to do that, the sound of voices inside the large room stopped him. He listened carefully and could hear that it was Yamamoto and… who he could only guess was Aizen.

"Aizen, what is the meaning of this?! Are you trying to begin a war again?!" Yamamoto's powerful voice rang out heatedly.

A response that sounded a little fuzzy echoed in the room, "I assure you that is not the case. I wouldn't think of starting another war between our kingdoms when we just signed a ceasefire treaty."

"Why should we believe what you say!?" Soi-Fon, Captain of the Second Division, asked angrily.

"Aizen, you caused a lot of havoc when you left with two of our captains. You made it ten times worse when you tried to take the kingdom over. Why _should_ we believe you?" Sajin Komamura, Captain of the Seventh Division, piggybacked.

He didn't really care about Aizen's departure, but Tousen's decision to follow him struck the wolf like a knife.

"I assure you I have no intention of starting a war. My interests are far greater than Seireitei. There is no need for you captains to worry."

Yamamoto stood quiet for a few minutes, holding his cane in contemplation. He knew something had to be done, otherwise, there would be constant unrest among his captains.

"If you truly want to avoid a war with our kingdom, there is one thing for you to do!"

"What might that be, Captain Yamamoto?" Aizen asked coolly.

For what felt like an eternity, Ichigo waited in the silent hallway; wondering just how far his commanding officer would go in dealing with this matter. He could feel his heart beating rapidly. _"Grimmjow…"_ he thought, swallowing down a mouthful of saliva.

"Put the Espada who committed crimes against our kingdom to death! Strip him of his title and let your kingdom know he is not interested in keeping the peace we've obtained and maintained!"

Those words echoed through the area and found their way to Ichigo's ears, causing his auburn eyes to go wide. With unexpectedly heavy breaths, he slid to the floor and tried to keep calm.

It was just what he had wanted. Right? The whole time he was cooped up in Grimmjow's room, he harped about the merciless punishment the man would get for his callous and selfish actions. He was so convinced that was what was right.

But now… things were different. Since he hadn't actually killed Rukia and Renji, Grimmjow didn't seem _as_ bad as he had before. In fact, he just seemed to want… some company. It was quite lonely in those quarters of his, and he was never there. That was probably the reason why. But… perhaps all he wanted was someone to be able to come back to an after a long day of doing whatever it was he did.

Of course, he may have said he was just trying to dominate a powerful enemy, but he could very well have been lying.

"_Maybe that's just me being optimistic…"_

Ichigo sat in place, letting the silence of the office envelop him. It was uncomfortable. Why wasn't Aizen saying anything?

"_Save your subordinate!"_ he thought angrily.

"Well? What say you to that proposal?" Yamamoto asked.

Again, Aizen did not respond. The room was completely silent in anticipation until-

"Say something, damn it! I didn't wanna be here all day!" Ichigo heard Kenpachi Zaraki, Captain of the Eleventh Division, shout out irritably.

"Come on, Aizen. Either sentence your subordinate or save him." Shunsui Kyōraku, Captain of the Eighth Division said, deciding it was time he said something. Normally, he'd let these kinds of things just play out, but Aizen was just being plain obnoxious with his silence.

"While I do understand you are upset about what happened to your officers, I cannot agree to such a punishment. He is a prince and an Espada, among the group of elite soldiers I consider powerful enough to provide my kingdom with the power needed to protect it while I am away conducting research. His existence is critical to my plans for this place I've come to call my home." Aizen responded calmly.

As soon as he finished, the captains attending the conference all began talking disapprovingly among themselves. Aizen refusing to agree to the Head Captains terms was basically strike two against Los Noches; strike one being Grimmjow having attacked in the first place.

Yamamoto banged his cane on the wooden floor, silencing the room once more. "If you will not agree to that-" he began.

Aizen cleared his throat to interrupt him, and then spoke, "As I do need him, I cannot simply destroy Grimmjow. As I said, he is pivotal to my future plans. But I can assure you I will inflict a punishment on him."

"And what would you do to him to make up for what he has done?" Yamamoto asked curiously, sure there was nothing he could do that would satisfy the situation.

"I will strip him of his ranking among the Espada, but he will remain alive and here in my custody."

"That's absurd! That's no punishment!" Soi-Fon retorted.

Zaraki cracked all the knuckles in his fingers, and then cracked his neck, "If you want a punishment, let me deal with him! I'll bring his head back on a silver platter and then mount it on a pike outside the kingdom!"

"Hold your tongue, Captain Soi-Fon! Captain Zaraki! Let me think this over!" Yamamoto bellowed.

Again, the room was silenced. The captains stared at Yamamoto's backside as he faced Aizen to think his offer over.

"Head Captain…" Komamura began.

"Fine. We will accept your terms, Aizen. Your kingdom now has a strike against it, and so does the Espada. If he commits another crime, I will see to his disposal myself!"

"Agreed. Is this all there is up for discussion? I have some important notes to organize so I have to dismiss myself." Aizen said with a smile.

"That is all for now. I should hope you will use your influence to keep your Espada in order so my captains won't have to wonder whether we are about to go to war or not."

"Indeed. Well, goodbye."

When Yamamoto shut off the spiritual wave, most of the captains voiced their opinions about his decision.

"I kept quiet because I knew you'd do what was best, Head Captain." Kurotsuchi Mayuri, Captain of the Twelfth Division began, "But I would love to examine an Espada's body so I'm kind of hoping he screws up again!"

"I… Have nothing to say. If this is what you decided, then I won't object any further." Soi-Fon said, and then closed her eyes disapprovingly.

"Captain Kurotsuchi, get in touch with Captain Unohana and let her know what was discussed here." Yamamoto said. She needed to be aware of the situation as well, especially since she was in potential enemy territory.

"I'll do that as soon as I return to my division." The strange scientist responded.

Ichigo felt a bubbly warmth in his lower gut, and he smiled at the captain's unexpected generosity. He was so… happy that Grimmjow wasn't going to be killed.

When he heard footsteps coming his way, Ichigo stood up and hurried out of the Head Captain's court. He decided to put the Grimmjow matter out of his mind since it had seemingly resolved itself.

Right now, he had friends to see.

**Was not expecting this chapter to be this long haha. But oh well. Aren't you all glad to see Senna?**

**Review and tell me what you think! The review option is conveniently placed just below this. I really value your opinions. Seriously, i get really excited when i see someone going out of their way to let me know what they think of my story. I've gotten so many reviews up til now, so let's see some more! :)**


	11. home

**R & R**

home

And so another day had come and gone in Seireitei Kingdom. For many who resided there, the return of their orange-haired Court Guard lifted their spirits to the skies and set happiness in their spirits.

That very Court Guard, Ichigo, burrowed comfortably under his soft, warm comforter, woke up when it proved unable to keep the morning sunlight from reaching him.

Yesterday, he had gone out to see everyone he had missed while he was away and then came to the clinic. It took so long catching up with them that when he'd come home to greet his family, he found they were all asleep on the couch waiting for him. But that wasn't so bad because today, the first thing he would see would be their smiling faces.

Something soft jumped onto him and then walked up to where his head rested under the sheets.

"Ichigoooooo! You're baaaack!"

Said boy cringed at the sound of that familiar high-pitched voice. "Ugh…"

"Come out from under the sheets and face me!"

"Kon, leave me alooone!" he responded groggily.

"Now how do you like that?! I'm here in this lonely bedroom of yours for a whole week waiting for you to come home, avoiding that crazy little sister of yours like the plague, and _this_ is the greeting I get?!"

Kon, one of the four stuffed plushies who had been imbued with Reiatsu by the Twelfth Division of Seireitei's Court Guard Squads, and therefore given life, had been given to Ichigo a few months ago. He didn't know exactly why Urahara and Kurotsuchi had created Kon, or why Rukia passed him along as a present to him, and he felt like he never would.

If he was honest with himself though, Kon did keep him company on those days when he was at home alone for an extended period of time.

"Kon… leave me alone… I'm trying to relax…"

"No way! It's time you learn a lesson in-"

A knocking on the door made the plushie whip around and stare at it anticipatingly.

"Onii-chan? Are you in there?" Yuzu, the younger twin of Ichigo's sisters, called from behind the door.

"Oh kami…!" Kon whispered fearfully.

Ichigo quickly sat up and threw his sheets back, sending the stuffed lion flying across the room. "You can come in, Yuzu!" He responded.

Kon was out in the open. The boy smirked deviously because he knew if Yuzu saw him, she was going to take him to her room and give him the punishment he deserved: being dressed in girly clothes and suffocated with affection.

When the door opened, Kon bolted to hide behind the dresser in the corner and began praying for dear life.

"Onii-chan!" Yuzu exclaimed happily when she saw her brother in all of his bedheaded glory.

She ran over to him and threw her arms around him lovingly, saying how much she, Karin, and their father missed him.

"Yuzu… I'm fine."

"I- I know! But when they filed that missing person's report, everyone was so scared! We thought you were lost out in the desert… or kidnapped, or killed!" the girl cried out through a shaky voice. She was clearly on the verge of crying.

"I'm home now. There's no need for you to worry so much. Have some faith in your older brother." Ichigo said consolingly.

While Yuzu had her face buried in Ichigo's neck, Kon saw his chance and made a break for the closet. However, when he heard Karin and Ishiin coming down the hallway, he made for the quickest hiding spot: underneath Ichigo's bed.

"Onii-chan!" Karin said as she entered the room, her expression and voice both heavy with relief.

"Karin, Dad…" Ichigo said with a warm smile.

Ishiin came in and leaned his bulky frame against the wall before returning that smile. "I'm glad you're home, son."

"Oniiiii-chaaaaaaan!" Yuzu cried, her arms still wrapped tightly around her older brother.

Karin, seeing that Ichigo needed to get ready for the day ahead of him, walked over and put a gentle hand on her little sister's shoulder. "How about some breakfast, Yuzu?" she asked.

"R- right! Onii-chan! What would you like?! I'll make anything you want me to!" the double pigtail-haired girl said after unwrapping her arms from around Ichigo's neck.

"Anything you make will be fine. You know that, Yuzu."

"I'll cook something special for you then!"

"Sounds good to me." The boy said with an adoring look.

Kon watched as Yuzu's socked feet touched the floor and left the room with Karin right behind her.

Ishiin, however, stayed leaning against the wall.

"Dad…" Ichigo said, unable to think of anything else to say.

"Ichigo, I… I heard about your fight with that Espada. And I just have to say… I'm so glad you've come home in one piece. I don't know what Yamamoto will do about this, but-"

"The old man's not going to do anything. Aizen already laid out a punishment for Grimmjow."

"Grimmjow… That was his name, huh?"

"Yeah." Looking down, the boy brought his hands together and twiddled his thumbs nervously, "Dad… I didn't win. He beat me and then almost killed Rukia and Renji... I can see now I'm not strong enough… If the kingdom were to go to war, I wouldn't be of any use to anyone-"

"Ichigo," Ishiin interrupted, "You're home and safe. That's all that matters to me. You lived to fight another day, and to everyone here, that means more than you realize."

"… I'm going to talk to Urahara to get him to train me some more."

"Don't."

"What? Why?"

"Well, you wouldn't find him anyway because Urahara isn't in the kingdom at the moment. He's out doing research and won't be back for a while."

After hearing that, Ichigo closed his eyes and sighed hopelessly. Urahara was supposed to be his answer. He was supposed to help him get stronger, so that next time he saw Grimmjow he wouldn't lose. But if he was gone, then what did that mean? _"I guess… I'll have to find another way to get stronger then…"_

Ishiin turned to leave, but stopped when he remembered something.

"Why are you hiding your Reiatsu by the way? Afraid of being found by everyone?"

"Oh… um… no, that's not it. It's just best for me to keep it hidden for now…"

"Hmm, well whatever will help you recover, go for it son. I'll always believe in you, and in the choices you make. I know your mother would, too if she was still here." The man said, and then exited the room.

Now completely alone, or, at least free of human interaction, since Kon was still cowering under the bed, Ichigo unintentionally took in the sounds of everything around him. He noticed the little things, the birds chirping noisily outside, the sound of the flowing pond in their neighbor's back yard, the sound of the gentle winds blowing against his window, all of it. Looking out his window at the kingdom that sprawled itself almost as far as his eyes could see, he sighed.

Being home was very different than being in Grimmjow's room.

"Grimmjow…" he muttered.

What was he doing right now? And more importantly, _how_ exactly had Aizen demoted him?

"Thinking about whoever that person is?" Kon asked, and then jumped up onto the bed comically. Ichigo remained quiet as the little lion walked over to him. "I'm curious about where you were for all the time you were missing. Were you lost in the desert? Eaten by a giant scorpion? Or held hostage by desert bandits?!"

"No… I was none of those things…"

"Then where were you?"

"I was nowhere."

"Don't lie to me, Ichigo! I'll find out the truth! And stop masking your Reiatsu! I can't tell if you're lying when you do that!"

"If you can't tell if I'm lying without sensing my Reiatsu, then how can you say I was lying?"

"Because you _sounded_ like you were lying! The only reason I'm mad about this is because _you_ left me alone in here for so long! I almost started talking with your sneakers for crying out loud!" the stuffed lion exclaimed accusingly.

"… Can you leave me alone, Kon? Please? I have some thinking to do…"

Kon folded his arms, said "Hmph! I'm losing interest in this whole mess," and then jumped off of the bed. "If you want to sulk around all day, I won't stop you! I'm going to get some rest in my favorite corner of the closet."

Ichigo sighed.

He wanted nothing more than to get on with his life, to move on from what happened in Los Noches, but something was holding him back.

For now though, being with family and friends would help him to just forget… He hoped.

* * *

Over the course of four days following his return, Ichigo had found that everyone was just as normal as he'd left them.

Chad still ran around the kingdom early each morning as a part of his daily exercise. He was also still as overprotective as ever. The moment he'd seen Ichigo, he asked him if everything was okay. Then he asked if the Espada would continue to be a problem. Although he knew Chad would never, ever be able to defeat Grimmjow, it was still nice to hear that caring tone of his.

Ishida was still working at his father's hospital, and he was still as condescending and over-analytical as ever. But it was nice to see that someone wasn't coddling him like a baby since his return. All he did when he was told about the fight was suggest that he train some more so he wouldn't lose again. Then he told him if he wasn't going to help in the hospital that he should leave. On his way out, Ichigo switched some clients' clipboards, which had minor illnesses listed on them, just to mess with him. That'd surely cause an uproar later.

Senna remained slightly aloof about the entire situation after finding out about the battle. She wasn't really a _fighter_, but she didn't like to lose, ever. So the things she told him confused even her when she said them. But in any case, she was glad that he was back. Now she had her buddy who bought her subs whenever she wanted because he was just that nice. He'd spent a few hours with her at the monthly fair that was coincidentally set up in the kingdom. She did a tightrope trick and earned the attention of some guys, but shooed them off saying that Ichigo was her boyfriend.

It was embarrassing… As were most situations the two of them often found themselves in.

Rukia and Renji were back to normal, too. Yamamoto had decided to give them a few days off to let them recuperate emotionally. Rukia decided that while she had some time off, she would brush up on her Kido. So she trained with Byakuya when he was, surprisingly, free. Other times she was off on her own in the garden of the Kuchiki mansion. Renji trained on his own, too in one of the fields near the eastern border of the kingdom. Ichigo had gone with him twice to train with him before deciding to train on his own.

The one person who broke the returning calmness in Ichigo's life, unexpectedly, was Inoue; his bubbly, beautiful friend of five years.

The days when he was out training near the lake, he made sure to hide his Reiatsu so no one would see just how hard he pushed himself. His training was too intense for any of them to be involved, and he also didn't want anyone saying he was overdoing it.

One day towards the end of one of his sessions, when his stamina had completely left him, he fired a few Getsuga Tenshous into the air. He intended to counter and dodge as many as he could, but his legs had given out on him as soon as he fired them and he fell to his knees, completely helpless. Just as he was about to be torn asunder by one, Inoue tackled him out of the way and threw up her Santen Kesshun for safe measure.

"Kurosaki-kun, are you okay?!" she asked while looking down to the boy sympathetically.

The attacks cut into the ground around them, leaving deep scars in their wake.

"Inoue…? *huff* What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked and panted at the same time. Though he was glad she had saved his life, there was no way she could have found him. He'd been masking his Reiatsu since _before_ he entered the kingdom a few days ago.

"What do you mean?" she asked, and then helped him sit up.

"How did you find me?" he asked after catching his breath.

The girl retracted her dome-like golden shield from around them and smiled, "I followed your Reiatsu, of course! I had to concentrate really hard to do it, though."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow in complete confusion, "But…"

"What is it?"

"Nothing… I guess…"

"Do you need me to heal you?" Inoue asked after closely observing the boy's beaten and exhausted condition.

"I'd appreciate it. That'll help me train some more." Ichigo responded with a smile.

"Okay! Sōten Kisshun, I reject!" she said.

Ichigo watched as Ayame and Shun'ō, the two manifestations of Inoue's Shun Shun Rikka who were capable of performing the healing technique, shot out from Inoue's hairpins and flew around him with friendly smiles. The familiar bright, sunset golden light of the protective barrier of the technique appeared, causing his wounds to heal and his stamina to return to him. The boy looked up at Inoue, who looked a little disturbed. "Hey, what's wrong, Inoue?" he said.

"I… Um…"

"You can say what you're feeling. We're friends. You don't need to hold back with me."

"Kurosaki-kun," the girl began hesitantly. She fidgeted with the hem of her skirt before continuing. "There's a… kind of dark, unfamiliar Reiatsu mixed with yours. I noticed it when you came to visit me a few days ago, but I didn't want to ask about it while everyone was celebrating. What happened to you in Los Noches…?"

The orange-haired boy was shocked to the point of being flabbergasted. He was surprised at Inoue's adept Reiatsu awareness, but he was also surprised because he thought after all this time of training and recovering that his Reiatsu had returned to normal. The fact that it had not was beginning to irritate him.

"I, uh, fought with an Espada. I guess the battle was so great that his Reiatsu stuck to mine. But I'll be back to normal soon!" he said, trying to assure himself more than the concerned girl in front of him.

Inoue smiled and shrugged innocently, "It's not a big problem! I just thought it was a little strange. I hardly noticed it, really."

Ichigo stared at his friend. The fact that she could tell at all, when he had been doing all he could to hide it, said it wasn't as small a problem as she thought. If he had been _revealing_ his Reiatsu, she probably would have said something about it the moment she saw him, that's how _big_ a problem it was.

"Inoue, what do you know about Reiatsu mingling?" he asked.

Perhaps she knew something he didn't. Like Nel seemed to.

"Well I don't know much… I just thought it was weird to see someone else's laced with yours… I've never seen that happen before, but I think it's making you uncomfortable. I'm sorry for bringing it up."

"No, no! Thank you. If you hadn't said anything, I never would have realized this is more important than I first thought it was."

"Kurosaki-kun…"

"I think I'm all healed up for now." The boy turned and said to Ayame and Shun'ō.

They both nodded in response, and then took the golden barrier down. After saying their goodbyes to him, they returned to Inoue's hairpins that were latched onto her thin sweater.

"Thanks for healing Rukia and Renji by the way."

Inoue was shocked by his words, "Of course! I'll always heal you guys! You know that. It doesn't matter how hopeless the situation seems, if there is breath in my body, I'll call on my powers for you!"

Ichigo smiled at the girl. Honestly, the little talks he had with her always seemed to cheer him up. It was really nice just knowing she and his other friends were behind him.

After a few seconds of sitting in her company, the boy stood up and walked over to Zangetsu to pick him up. With the wind blowing against him, he stopped and looked to the endless blue sky above. It looked the exact same here as it had in Los Noches. And for a moment, he felt like Pantera would come and sit next to him.

"Hey, Inoue…"

"Hmm?"

"I need to keep training, so I think you should go back. I don't want you caught in the crossfire."

"Okay." The girl said, and then stood and brushed her skirt off. She stared at Ichigo's back for a moment before she turned to leave. Something told her he wouldn't be staying much longer. "Good luck, Kurosaki-kun. And be careful." With that, she left the training field.

Ichigo stared down at Zangetsu and figured maybe he could help him figure some things out.

"Zangetsu, I need to talk to you." He said, before sitting down in a meditative pose next to the sword.

…

From the natural world to his own inner world the boy traveled, in search of the manifested spirit of his sword.

He traveled over hundreds of inverted, glassy skyscrapers before he laid eyes on the man. "Zangetsu!" he called.

The tall, handsome, dark-haired, sunglasses wearing man known by that name was someone Ichigo always knew he could come to when he needed guidance. And even though Ichigo was his master, Zangetsu had much more wisdom to share. They had met when he was training with Urahara and his crew to obtain him, and at first, he didn't trust him. But now he was the one person the boy knew would always be truthful to him.

"I figured I would see you soon, Ichigo." The man said, and then turned to face his master.

Ichigo stopped when he got close and bowed to the man. "I need to talk to you."

"What's on your mind?" Zangetsu replied, and then returned the bow.

The orange-haired boy looked around his world for a moment. Knowing this would be a long talk, he took a seat and suggested Zangetsu do the same.

For a few minutes, he stared off in the distance where the blue skyscrapers faded on the horizon trying to figure out how to begin. He looked down at the one he was sitting on, and then sighed heavily. "Zangetsu, I have a problem."

"I know, I've been watching you. I'm aware of your issue with the strange Reiatsu you cannot shake."

A vein appeared on Ichigo's forehead, indicating his irritation. "Then why did you ask 'what's on your mind' if you already knew?!"

With a bellowing laugh at the boy's reaction, Zangetsu put a firm hand on his shoulder. "I'm just waiting for you to say it. It's the polite thing to do, after all."

Shaking his head disapprovingly, Ichigo sighed. "I should have come to you sooner than now… I… I don't know what to do, old man. Grimmjow's Reiatsu is all over me and I can't even feel it! I'll never get rid of it if I can't even tell it's there…"

"Hmm, Grimmjow Jaegerjaques... He is definitely a powerful one. I could feel a lot of malice in his blade when he struck me." The man replied seriously as he recalled the battle they had fought against him.

"I know… He has some issues he needs to deal with if he wants to be the king of Los Noches. Oh, by the way… Nel said that his Reiatsu is mixed with mine because it is fate that we cross paths again."

"Ah yes, the gypsy girl. A devoted one, she is."

"I didn't know you would go out of your way to help her… or anyone besides me." Ichigo said with a small smile, "Guiding her to Seireitei was very nice of you, so thanks old man."

Zangetsu shook his head, "It was nothing. I knew that if I helped her save your friends, you would be happy. Even while we were separated, I could feel your anguish, your pain. I just wanted to give you some relief for the time when we met again."

"Thanks." When he remembered the next thing she had told him, Ichigo's tone changed from an appreciative one to confusion, "She told me you stopped guiding her when you got close to me. Why'd you do that?"

All of a sudden, the mood between the two of them became heavy and serious. Zangetsu stared directly into Ichigo's eyes before speaking, "The reason I stopped guiding her was because I couldn't tell which person you were. Your Reiatsu and the Reiatsu of the Espada we fought were exactly the same the moment we got close to the palace that night. I could not tell the two of you apart, so I stopped guiding the girl altogether. If I led her to the wrong one, she could very well have died."

"But… Grimmjow and I were together in the same spot… Our Reiatsu were right next to one another… even if they were the same…"

"I did not want to run the chance of her dying. Besides, you were unarmed as I was not at your side. If she appeared with me, the Espada probably would have killed her and there would have been nothing you could have done to save her."

Ichigo looked down in confusion. "Wait, if our Reiatsu were exactly the same, then why is mine back to normal? Inoue said his Reiatsu was barely noticeable when she visited me."

"I think you know the answer to that." Zangetsu said, and then avoided eye contact with a faint blush on his cheeks.

Ichigo blushed as well and looked away to hide his embarrassment. "When we were…"

"It's okay if you like that kind of thing, Ichigo. As your Zanpakutō spirit, and as your friend, I will never judge you."

"I don't!"

"The reason your Reiatsu mixed, and the only reason they were impossible to differentiate at that moment was because you enjoyed it. But… you should know that such a thing only happens if both parties enjoy the act…"

"I didn't enjoy-" Ichigo stopped mid-sentence and bent forward quickly, "You mean…! Grimmjow liked it, too?!"

"Does that excite you?"

With a deeper blush than before, the boy sat back down and folded his arms defensively. "No! It absolutely does not!"

"But you said 'too'…"

"I did not!"

"Ichigo, you need to deal with this directly, instead of simply ignoring it. I think you should discover your own feelings through meditation and training. That gypsy even has me convinced that you will see the Espada again. And I feel like it'll be sooner than you think. You'd best prepare yourself for what the future holds pertaining to him."

"… Right. Next time we fight, I won't lose to him!"

"I'll be at your side, always. No matter what happens, Ichigo." Zangetsu said with a smile, before standing up.

"Thank you, old man Zangetsu."

"Until next time." The tall man said, and then departed.

When he could no longer see the deep black of Zangetsu's overcoat, Ichigo got into a meditative position and then closed his eyes.

He came to in the real world and looked around to get his bearings. He'd spent a little bit longer in his inner world than he intended to, but his talk with Zangetsu was definitely worth it.

For a while, he sat there in the grass, just observing the training grounds. _"He was enjoying it… He was enjoying having sex with me…"_ he thought, unable to tell if that was a good or a bad thing.

"No, I don't have time to think about that." He said, remembering his priorities.

Without concern about others finding out about Grimmjow's unshakable Reiatsu on him, he exposed his energy as fully as he could to continue his training. After taking a moment to make sure Inoue wasn't in the area, and finding that she was safely back home, he picked up his ebony sword and decided he would do this on his own since Urahara wasn't around to help him.

And just as he had his heart set on that…

"Well hello there, Ichigo." A man said lazily from behind him.

Said boy turned in the direction the person acknowledging him was coming from.

This person was… well… from first glance, he seemed rather lethargic and uninterested. With a sword propped over his shoulder, this fellow with blonde, shoulder-length hair was approaching him with a slow stride. His attire seemed pretty formal, consisting of a black button-down shirt, gray slacks, a white tie, and a well shined pair of dress shoes, but his expression gave his ill-fitting personality away.

"Who are you? How do you know my name?" Ichigo asked, and held Zangetsu up defensively.

"He was right, I wouldn't mistake you. That loud, orange hair of yours, standoffish attitude, and uninviting demeanor are impossible to miss."

"I asked who you are."

When the strange man got close, he took a seat in the grass and sighed. "Man, I wish I could've talked to that pretty girl some more. She seems way too sweet a person to be hanging around you…"

"You're talking about Inoue…?" Ichigo asked. Who the hell was this guy?!

"That's her name?! I'll be sure to run into her again..."

After gritting his teeth, Ichigo pointed his sword in the man's direction. "That tears it! I'm going to have to-"

"Don't bother. You'd never beat me the way you are now."

"How do you-"

"You sure are clueless… Urahara sent me to help you train while he was away. He assured me your power was great, but I can tell I'm much stronger than you."

"Urahara sent you? Who the hell are you?!"

"The name's Hirako, Shinji. I'd say the pleasure's all mine, but this whole interaction we've had has been kind of annoying and unpleasant. So let's just skip the niceties. That move you just pulled, exposing your energy haphazardly, alerted most people in the area with Spiritual Pressure awareness to your position. It's usually done when you're in danger or are lost. But I guess you don't know that. And that's where I come in. I'm gonna help you train to control that overbearing Reiatsu of yours."

"My Reiatsu…? I _have_ control over it."

"Not much, kid. Trust me. Also, I can also sense that other Reiatsu latched onto you. There's nothing I can do about that. It's something you'll have to take care of on your own time… unless you want to eventually end up bearing a chi- uh, well… never mind…"

"Can I get rid of it?" Ichigo asked, completely disregarding that last part. He was too busy hoping he could free himself from this nuisance, which is what he hoped Shinji meant by 'take care of'.

"I don't really know. I've never encountered anyone who has bonded, for lack of a better word, with someone so closely that this happened. I think only time will tell what your future holds. But that's completely irrelevant to me as it won't interfere with me training you. My comrades and I have a similar power to the one you have, mixed breed."

"Mixed breed…? What the hell do you mean by that?"

"Sheesh, you're _such_ a half-wit…" Shinji said while shaking his head. "If you want to learn the truth about yourself, and if you want to get stronger, you'll come with me. Otherwise, you'll remain in the dark about what you are and you'll never be able to protect those friends of yours… let alone defeat that Espada who has accidentally marked you."

"Hirako… Shinji… What are your motives in helping me? What are you getting out of this?"

"Absolutely nothing. I owed Urahara a favor and he called me on it. Helping you was what he wanted me to do. That's it."

Ichigo stood silent, contemplating this situation. This man, and his so-called comrades, were willing to help him train and expected nothing out of it? It seemed a little shady. But… if Urahara trusted these people to help him while he was gone, then perhaps it wasn't that inauspicious. Plus, this guy knew something about him that he apparently didn't.

He wanted to find out what it was.

With his mind made up, Ichigo sheathed his sword and stuck out his hand to the man.

"What are you doing?" Shinji asked.

"I'm trying to help you up. If Urahara thinks me going with you is okay, then I will." The boy said with a smile.

"Save the benevolence for Hiyori. She's not nearly as friendly as I am." The blonde said, and then stood up on his own.

Once Shinji began walking, Ichigo took his place beside him. Noting that it was uncomfortably silent, he decided to make small talk. "Where are we going to train?" he asked.

"Somewhere you won't have to keep hiding your Reiatsu to keep that other one on you a secret."

"Right…" Ichigo said.

The fact that Inoue, and now Shinji, knew left him feeling a bit embarrassed.

Shaking his head, he realized there was work to do. With the help of these people, he felt that maybe he would be ready the next time he faced Grimmjow Jaegerjaques.

**Don't think I've forgotten Grimmjow! I know many of you are curious about what's going on with him, too.**


	12. chasing that spark of sexual excitement

**This chapter was so hard to write simply because my laptop went to crap on me (luckily I have a backup of the overview of this story haha). So I went out and bought a new one!**

**Anyway, R&R!**

chasing that spark of sexual excitement

Three weeks following Ichigo's escape from Grimmjow's living quarters in Los Noches palace…

Sitting alone in his massive bath tub was Grimmjow, soaking his problems away after a long day of hunting out in the lonely desert.

And he was awfully displeased. He had been ever since that night.

Things were going fine in his life until Yammy interrupted him for a meeting that fucking Tousen called. Tousen! For shit's sake, why would Grimmjow care if _he_ called a meeting?

And thanks to that little incident, the Court Guard escaped.

Flashback

_A large hand shot through Grimmjow's bedroom door, causing his Reiatsu forcefield to shatter._

"_YO, GRIMMJOW! I got a bone to pick with you! And Tousen has called us for a meeting, so get your ass up!"_

_Both Ichigo and Grimmjow immediately looked to the doorway where the heavy doors crashed noisily to the ground._

_Pantera came inside from the terrace and stared down at the person who had caused the commotion in his master's room._

"_Oh! What's this!? In the middle of gettin' your freak on, I see!"_

"_Yammy, you fucking bastard!" Grimmjow shouted crossly._

"_Give the girl to me and I'll show her just how inadequate a man you are!" Yammy said, and then stepped inside the room._

_Grimmjow put his arm around Ichigo protectively and pulled him closer. So close in fact, he felt the boy's nose and lips press against his chest._

_The Espada was surprised when he felt two soft hands come up and rest gently on his back. Although it was unexpected and uncomfortable, he did not turn from facing Yammy. There was no telling what he would do. He needed to be ready for anything._

_When a knee shoot up forcefully into his groin, the man's blue eyes widened and his eyebrows jumped. He inhaled, held in the breath in for a second, and then doubled over in pain on top of the boy beneath him, "Fuuuucking bastard…!" he hissed._

_Panting heavily, he felt like if the pain of this moment wasn't so great, he would rip Ichigo's head off and shove it up his ass. He closed his blue eyes tightly and tried not to let a tear escape. Even for an Espada with their thick-shelled Hierro, reproductive organs were a point of vulnerability._

_Suddenly, he felt two hands press against his chest and lift him into the air._

_The next thing he felt surprised him._

_The Court Guard's lips pressed against his tenderly. He was so confused, enraged, and pained that he couldn't react to it; not even mentally._

_.After being pushed off to the side, Grimmjow gritted his teeth and watched as his prey slipped off the bed and then grabbed something before he made a break for the exit._

_He started seeing red when the Court Guard came up to Yammy and slowed down. Kurosaki was _his_ problem. If he put a hand on him…_

"_A- A MAN?! Grimmjow, you were bedding another man?!" Yammy shouted in his direction_.

"_Shut your fucking mouth…!" he responded._

_Through the pain emanating from his nether regions, Grimmjow put an arm on the bed to brace himself, and then got up. He had to stop the Court Guard from escaping._

_Reaching out, he made to grab his sword that had been dropped on the floor by the prick. It was an unsuccessful attempt, however, as he fell off of the bed and flat on his face._

_As soon as Pantera saw his master hit the floor, he hurried over to him and picked up the sword he had tried to get. "Grimmjow, get up! The boy has escaped!" he said, offering the sword to him._

_Said man sat up on his elbow and held his face and groin at the same time, trying to relieving the pain._

_Yammy folded his arms and laughed. "I don't know what kind of freak show you got going on here, Grimmjow, but Tousen wants to see us. Besides that, I heard you-"_

"_Get the fuck out of my face, Yammy! I could fucking murder you for ruining what I had going here! And for Tousen's sake at that! The only thing I want to hear from that kiss-ass is that Aizen told him I'll be the next king!" Grimmjow shouted so angrily that spit flew from his mouth._

"_You think you're even in the running for being the next king?!" Yammy said, and then flared his Reiatsu. "Your Reiatsu is nothing compared to mine!"_

_Pantera dropped the sword in Grimmjow's lap and started growling, ready to attack if necessary._

"_Don't bother with him, Pantera..." The Espada said, and then looked up to Yammy, "Get out of my quarters and tell Tousen he can suck it!"_

"_Oh I can't wait to hear what he has to say about all of this!" the larger Espada exclaimed, before he turned and left the room._

_Grimmjow put his arms on his bed, gripped his sheets, and then tried pulling himself up. The pain was a lot for him to handle, and he almost didn't make it. Just as he slipped, Pantera hurried over to him and used the top of his head to boost his master up onto the mattress._

"_Fucking hell…" the bluenette hissed._

"_Grimmjow, I told you to be on your guard. Had you taken my advice, none of this would have-"_

"_I know that! Rub it in my face, won't you?!"_

"_Will you be alright? You must be in pain…"_

_Grimmjow gritted his teeth and then gripped his sheets in pure anger. That sneaky little weakling took advantage of the situation and got away. Not to mention he had tried to kill him with _his own sword_ before Yammy busted his Reiatsu forcefield and came into the room._

"_I'm gonna murder that weak little piece of shit when I see him again…"_

_Pantera crawled up onto the bed and laid down at the foot of it. Clearly his master needed him, so he would be as close to him as possible tonight._

End Flashback

From the bottom of the large tub, underneath the piping hot water and with his back to the tiled floor, Grimmjow blew bubbles up to the top. He had been trying to distract himself from any lingering thoughts about the Court Guard.

He had escaped _three_ weeks ago. Three! It was time for him to move on from that and get stronger. Because the next time he crossed paths with the rat, he wouldn't hold back.

When he saw Pantera's fluid-like reflection appear above the water, he blew a few bubbles up at him. Pantera took it as a sign that he would be getting a bath, so he decided to leave the bathroom to avoid that happening.

Grimmjow, however, stayed in the tub for a while longer; swimming around underneath the water and soaking his thick-shelled skin as well.

After a while, though, he got pulled the plug out of the tub, and then got out of it. With a thick, white towel, he dried his hair, followed by the rest of his body, before leaving the bathroom as well.

As he laid naked in his bed, which was unnecessarily large for one person, he stared at the spot where he used to see a mess of orange hair sticking out from underneath the blankets when he woke up each morning. Ever since the boy had escaped, things were notably much… duller…

And thanks to him, two weeks ago Aizen had stripped him of his title as an Espada, and said he was on thin ice when it came to his candidacy for kingship in the future. Everything he had been working so hard for was practically being dismantled before his very eyes… _"All because of _him_…!"_

Angrily, Grimmjow sat up and called out for a concubine to enter his room.

An orange-haired woman entered and quickly walked over to his side. "How can I please you tonight, my lord?" she asked after bowing.

Her brown eyes met his blue ones, causing Grimmjow to smirk. "You already know what to do." He said.

After dropping her robe, the woman crawled into bed with him and then got on top of him. "Like this?" she asked, wanting to make sure she was positioned correctly.

"That's right." The bluenette responded, and then put his hands behind his head lazily. "Don't make me wait forever. Get to it already."

"R-right." Nervously, the girl grabbed hold of the man's soft, flimsy penis and tried her best to earn some sign of arousal from it, but when her efforts failed, she blushed. "Um… I- I can't do… anything with thi-"

"Sh-shut the hell up!" Grimmjow shouted angrily.

With slightly red-tinted cheeks, he roughly shoved her off of him and turned onto his side.

"Master Jaegerjaques-"

"GET OUT!"

The sound of Grimmjow shouting was something all the palace concubines feared greatly. And that was because he was one of the Espada who had no problem decapitating one of them if he was displeased. Right now, he seemed very embarrassed, and she knew that would only lead to her untimely end if she stayed and tried to console him.

Without hesitation, she slipped off of the bed, grabbed up her robe from off the floor, and then hurried out of the bedroom.

On the bed, Grimmjow was having a hard time dealing with his rather deprived sex drive lately. None of the palace concubines were able to get him going anymore.

Through gritted teeth, he realized that what he wanted, and needed, was the Court Guard. There was something about dominating him that was just so thrilling and entrancing that having sex with the women here couldn't live up to. After three weeks of dealing with them, he got nothing. He was unable to satisfy his sexual appetite with them because they willingly gave it up to him without a fight. There was never a point when any of them defied him simply because they didn't have to power to defend themselves against him.

The Court Guard was different. He was strong. And there had been a process of breaking him in. Not to mention there was always that looming threat of him standing up for himself one day. That was primarily because he, unlike the women, did not accept being a sex slave as his fate. He sought his freedom, and Grimmjow was damned to admit that by a stroke of luck he'd gotten it.

But now that was all gone. The little runt had taken all the excitement with him the night he got away.

Glancing down at his languid and all but erect penis, the bleunette sighed. _"What the hell is wrong with me…?"_ he thought with a look of solemn defeat on his face.

* * *

A few days later…

Out in the desert, just a few miles away from Los Noches kingdom, was Grimmjow and his five Fracción.

Today was an all out training day, and Grimmjow decided that he would prove that the term "Espada" didn't mean anything when it came to his strength. Taking on all five of his men at once was the best way to demonstrate that, plus it was the perfect distraction from his failure in the bedroom lately.

"You're open, Grimmjow!" Shawlong said, and then charged the man.

"Think again!" the bluenette retorted, and then jumped into the air evasively.

All of his Fracción looked up in the direction of the sun, where Grimmjow had jumped to.

"I'm losing sight of him!" Edrad, the bulky red-haired one, shouted while covering his eyes protectively.

"Damn! What is that guy planning?!" Di Roy, the shark-toothed man added.

Grimmjow saw his chance and pointed his hand in the direction of his five confused men. The red light of his Cero appeared, and without a second thought, he fired five of them down at them.

One by one, each of the Ceros just barely missed their targets, as he'd intended for them to. When they hit the sand, five explosions erupted and kicked sand up in the process.

Yylfordt, the man with long, light blonde hair, looked up at Grimmjow angrily when he noticed that his hair had taken slight damage. "Are you losing your mind?! We are your subordinates, not your enemies! That was a little too close for comfort!" he shouted, his voice echoing across the sky and the barren land below.

Grimmjow drew his sword and used a Sonído to get behind his screaming follower.

Lifting his white blade, he pressed the cold steel against the other man's neck. "Are you questioning me, Yylfordt?"

After taking a deep gulp, Yylfordt lifted his hands defensively. "Master Grimmjow, calm down! We're not your enemies! I understand you've been frustrated since that kid… I… I mean… since-"

"What was that?!"

"Grimmjow, that's enough! Leave Yylfordt be!" Shawlong interrupted by speeding over to the two.

"Tch!" dismissively, Grimmjow lowered his weapon and then sheathed it. "Get out of my sight, all of you. We're done for today."

Nakeem, Edrad, Di Roy, and Yylfordt all followed that order, realizing that if they didn't, Grimmjow could very well turn on them in a fit of rage.

Shawlong, on the other hand, descended to the sand after his master did and came up beside him.

"Sir, do not think we have not taken note of your behavior since that boy escaped. We all have. And it's been difficult watching you suffer like you have been."

With little interest in Shawlong's words, Grimmjow stuck his hands into his pockets and began walking in the direction of Los Noches, ready to call it a day. He stopped abruptly, though, when he heard the next thing the other man said.

"This isn't the Grimmjow we believe in. That Grimmjow would take back what was his by whatever means necessary!"

With his blue eyes glued to the golden sand below, Grimmjow held his tongue.

"Grimmjow, if that boy was so influential on you, then you should take him back. Storm Seireitei kingdom and force him to return with you."

After turning around and staring Shawlong in the face, Grimmjow spoke, "You always did talk too much. But I never expected to hear such complete nonsense coming from your mouth."

"It's not nonsense. You took him before, even though you knew who he was and where he was from."

"That's because he was alone with two weak ass comrades! It's a different story when he's at home, surrounded by his commanding officers! I don't have the power to storm his kingdom in an attempt to take him back!"

"Do you know what I think, Grimmjow?"

"Enlighten me." Said man responded, uninterested.

"I think _you're_ the one who is talking complete nonsense. You're clearly not the man you once used to be. Following Aizen has made you soft."

Grimmjow quickly grabbed hold of his sword and made to draw it, but he immediately realized that killing Shawlong would be a mistake on his part as he was probably the strongest Fracción he had. Eradicating him would be a foolish move, even for him.

"You've already been dismissed for the day, Shawlong. I suggest you follow the others' example and leave me alone."

"As you wish." The raven-haired man responded, and then headed back to the kingdom ahead of his master.

…

Once Shawlong had caught up with his fellow Fracción back inside the kingdom, he decided to speak to Yylfordt about a plan he had thought up as they walked through the kingdom, heading for the palace.

Unbeknownst to him, Grimmjow was in earshot as he made his way back up on the roofs of the peasants' homes and stores.

"What's this plan?" Yylfordt asked curiously.

"It's simple. We're going to get the boy back for our master."

"Oh yeah? And how would we go about doing that?"

"We're going to silently storm Seireitei kingdom and take him. However, he won't go without a fight, this I know. So I'll need a scout to go ahead of the battalion and find out a weakness of his. We will use this weakness to bribe him to come back with us."

"Well that sounds like a good plan, but how would we get into the kingdom in the first place? I doubt they'd just let military personnel from our kingdom just waltz right in after what Grimmjow did. Relationships between our kingdoms are strained right now..."

"We'll have to go posed as traders."

"Okay. So what about this scout? Who is that going to- oh no! No, no! Not me! I'm way too noticeable."

"Not if you put on a disguise and mask your Reiatsu. You could enter the kingdom posed as a gypsy or a traveler from the lands to the Western border of the continent. Your mask is the most concealable, after all."

"Why would I want to go through with this, Shawlong?" the blonde asked.

"Because you're obviously the one who can't hold his tongue about what goes on in Master Grimmjow's personal life."

Yylfordt slowed his pace as the two of them got close to the palace. Grimmjow _had_ been pretty insufferable lately. And spending some time away from him did sound appealing.

"Fine. I'll go to Seireitei and find out what I can about this kid. But what should I do once I have?"

"We're going to rendezvous with you inside the kingdom in a few days, and you can join us in the operation to take the boy with us."

With a devious smirk, Yylfordt held out his hand. When Shawlong raised an eyebrow, he decided to clue him in. "If I'm going to be in Seireitei alone for a few days, I'll at least need accommodations. I'm sure you have the extra coin to satisfy those needs, right? This _is_ your plan, remember?"

"Of course. I knew you wouldn't go without some encouragement. Is helping our master not enough for you? And do you not have your own coin to take care of yourself?" the raven-haired man asked, before pulling out his wallet.

"I'm all for keeping my head attached to my shoulders where Grimmjow is concerned, but why should I sacrifice my own money for something you thought up?" Yylfordt asked.

Shawlong pulled out a few golden coins and put them into his comrade's hand. "Do not waste any time. In his current condition, while I don't think he will care where one of his subordinates has disappeared to, Master Grimmjow cannot continue on with the palace concubines alone. If we don't act fast, I don't know what he will do…"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm going." Before parting ways, Yylfordt turned to Shawlong. "What do we do if this mission goes wrong?"

With an air of sincerity and seriousness, Shawlong replied, "If we are to fail, at least we'd know we were doing what was necessary for our master's well being."

"Right…"

"Good luck to you, Yylfordt."

"Thanks. Try not to get killed by you know who while I'm gone." The blonde replied.

Without another word, the two of them parted ways; Shawlong heading to the palace, and Yylfordt to the kingdom gates.

Up on the rooftop, Grimmjow, having heard the entire exchange, shook his head as he watched Yylfordt disappear into the crowd of peasants. There was no way this little plan of theirs would work.

Still, it was interesting to see the two more intelligent members of his Fracción working together for his sake.

Dismissive on the matter, he decided to head back to the palace.

* * *

Five days following Yylfordt's departure from Los Noches…

It was after dark now in the kingdom, and Grimmjow was in the middle of another attempt with a concubine. While he had been able to get himself excited, this little round of theirs had carried on without climax for at least twenty minutes.

As the woman beneath him moaned, he remained completely uninterested in her.

After a few more thrusts of him overcompensating for his utter lack of attraction to her, Grimmjow was surprised when she reached her limit and cried out in pleasure.

It was so unappealing to him that he immediately pulled out of her.

"Are you alright, My Lord? I can't help but notice that you didn't-"

"Say another word and I'll fire a Cero down your dick hole." The bluenette interrupted.

Looking down, he saw the mess she had made and was unsatisfied about it to say the least. That should have been _his_ mess. _She_ should be the one left feeling used. But no, with a content smile on her face, she was staring up at him.

It was disgusting.

"Get out of my room." He said.

"Y- yes sir!" the woman replied, and got off of the bed.

Just as she was leaving the room, Pantera entered with a bag on his tail.

Staring at his master's backside as he sat up with his knees outspread on the bed, he could already tell what had happened.

"What do you want?" Grimmjow asked, without even needing to turn around.

"I need to talk to you."

"I'm listening."

"You know I only want what's best for you, Grimmjow."

When his panther walked over to the bed, Grimmjow noticed the medical bag of the Court Guard hanging on his tail and sighed. "What the hell am I supposed to do…?" he asked.

Almost surprised at the man's unusual need for another's advice, Pantera lifted the bag and put it down in front of him.

After closing his cerulean eyes for a moment to think, Grimmjow opened them and looked down to his spirit animal.

"Only you know what to do to make yourself happy again, Grimmjow." The panther stated, and then left his master's side. It was no mistake that he left the medical bag in front of the man.

* * *

Early dawn.

Shawlong, having convinced the other three members of Grimmjow's Fracción to accompany him, stood with them at the kingdom gates. They were the only ones out at this hour, apart from the gate guards.

Dressed in the humble, and stolen, clothes of a few traders, Di Roy, Nakeem, and Edrad were all on board with the mission to take back what belonged to their master. After all, if he belonged to him, he was also partially theirs as well.

"So where's Yylfordt?" Nakeem, the portliest of the group, asked.

"That's right. He's been missing for near six days." Di Roy added.

"I thought this through not long before his 'disappearance' and decided that he would be the scout of this operation. He is in Seireitei as we speak, collecting intelligence on our target."

"What kind of intelligence?" Edrad asked.

"A weakness. Everyone has one. And we're going to use the Court Guard's weakness against him." Shawlong replied.

"That seems like a cowardly thing to do." Di Roy commented.

"It is assurance that he will come with us, and a necessary step to prevent the Court Guard Captains from interfering with this mission. If he does not fight, no one will know he's in danger."

"Whatever the means, I'm getting that Court Guard back."

Shawlong, Di Roy, Edrad, and Nakeem all turned at the sound of that voice, and were surprised to see their master walking towards them.

"Master Grimmjow!" Shawlong said.

"You look like you've seen a ghost." Said man responded. "Tell me, did you really think I didn't know what was going on when Yylfordt disappeared? I've known about this little plan of yours the whole time."

"I… Master, are you planning to accompany us?"

"What the fuck does it look like?"

"Your… interference was not anticipated… I don't know how we're going to smuggle you into Seireitei…"

"We've got this big ass wagon full of hay." Edrad said, referring to the wagon they had stolen from one of the merchants in town. "Hide him in there until we get inside the kingdom."

Everyone turned to Grimmjow expectantly.

"You expect me to hide away like some coward while my prey is waiting for me?" the bluenette asked angrily.

"It would only be temporary. We'll need you to mask your Reiatsu when we reach the outskirts of Seireitei, which should be when we reach the grassy plains." Shawlong replied.

Grimmjow stuck his hands into his pockets. "Fine! But I'm not staying in that damned thing for too long!"

"That's fine. You should be able to move about freely when we enter the kingdom, so long as you keep your Reiatsu hidden. And…" After remembering that no one in Seireitei had skeletal masks or holes on their bodies, Shawlong walked over to one of the stores and entered it, breaking the lock on the door to do so.

It took a moment, but he found what he was looking for.

Upon coming back to the group, in his hand he held a large, brown, hooded cloak and held it out in Grimmjow's direction. "You'll need to wear this if you're going to be searching for the Court Guard."

"The hell I will! Get that thing out of my face!" the bluenette replied.

"Master Grimmjow, please be more cooperative. You'll stand out like a sore thumb with your mask exposed. Ours are concealed beneath these hideous getups, so you should do the same. At least you'd look mysterious and dark; unlike we do in our attire."

"We look like fucking idiots." Di Roy added.

Rolling his eyes, Grimmjow snatched the cloak from Shawlong and tossed it over his shoulder.

"Let's get moving! I want to reach Seireitei by the end of the day." He said.

"Right." Shawlong agreed.

With Seireitei in his sights, Grimmjow exited Los Noches with his men behind him. It was time for him to reclaim his sexual spark that was in the form of an orange-haired weakling.


	13. perilous vision and proposition

**Early update!**

**R & R!**

perilous vision and proposition

Looking eastward towards the sun that had risen a little while ago, Grimmjow scowled in complete dissatisfaction. It had taken his group over a day to travel through the desert just to reach the _outskirts_ of Seireitei. "We should have been here much sooner than this." He said in Shawlong's direction.

"Yes, well having the wagon was a bit of a miscalculation. Had we been without you, we could have abandoned it and moved much faster. Regardless, we are here now. And that means you need to go along with your part of the plan." Shawlong responded.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes and grabbed the cloak from the wagon. He quickly put it on and then continued walking, but stopped and turned around when he noticed that his subordinates were not following him. "What's the hold up?"

Edrad, Di Roy, Nakeem, and Shawlong stared at him, each from their respective corners of the wagon.

"Get moving! This isn't a joke!" Grimmjow shouted.

"_You_ gotta get in the wagon." Di Roy said, pointing to it with his thumb.

"Uh- Tch! There's no way that's happening!" The bluenette retorted, and then turned to keep going up the trail that would get him into Seireitei.

"Master Grimmjow, you promised." Shawlong said.

"Like hell I did!" said man called from over his shoulder.

"The operation will fail if you are found out. You can get out of the wagon after we enter the kingdom and are out of sight."

Honestly, Shawlong felt like he was talking to a child…

Angrily, Grimmjow marched back to the group and got into the wagon on top of the hay.

When no one moved, he looked down at them. "What now!?"

Di Roy smirked, climbed up the pile of hay, and then put his hands on Grimmjow's shoulders. "Now you know you'll have to hide _under_ the hay, right? Otherwise we're gonna look real stupid… or… stupider than we already do." Without remorse, he pushed the man down and then started piling hay on top of him.

"Now that that's over, can we get going?" Edrad asked when Di Roy jumped down to the ground.

Shawlong nodded. "Right. We cannot afford to waste any time. Who knows what Yylfordt's gotten himself into…" he said, and then started walking.

Edrad and Nakeem took the wagon by the handles on the front and followed after him with Di Roy close behind them.

…

The group came to a halt when the guards at the admissions station of Seireitei's main entrance stepped out to inspect them.

"Who are you all?" one of the guards asked, while the other two took a look around the wagon.

Nakeem remained silent, and Di Roy and Edrad looked at each other nervously. They hadn't really come up with that part... It had slipped their minds. It was probably the most important part of this plan.

All three of them looked at Shawlong nervously, hoping he'd pull through for them.

The taller man bowed to the guard in front of him with the clipboard who had asked the question. "We are simply humble merchants looking to sell some fine hay to the cultivators of your fair kingdom. The horses will absolutely love it, I promise that on my father's business." He lied.

"Is that so?" the guard asked while jotting something down on his paper.

"T- that's right! There's something very _special_ in this hay they might just die for." Di Roy added.

When the guard turned and looked at the hay curiously, Shawlong harshly stomped Di Roy's foot as subtly as he could, causing the shorter man to double over in pain and curse under his breath.

"Where exactly do you come from?" the guard asked.

"We come from the lands to the west near the plains. You probably haven't heard of us since not many people pay attention to the smaller towns outside the kingdoms."

"Hm, I see your point. I hope your town is doing okay."

"We're doing just fine."

"You know, I heard there was some kind of attacks going on near the town that has that temple with the giant lightning rod. Is your town anywhere near there?"

"No. We're off to ourselves. We have heard about those mock crusades, though."

Edrad rolled his eyes. This conversation seemed pretty pointless to him, but if Shawlong was good at anything, it was talking his way out of a tough situation.

"Hey, everything appears to be okay." One of the other two guards said from behind the wagon while holding his thumb up.

"Alright. You all may enter. Enjoy your trip through our kingdom. And have a safe trip back to the western plains." The guard said, and then went back into the admissions station.

"Thank you, sir!" Shawlong said, and then began walking.

Edrad and Nakeem took their places at the handles of the wagon again and started pulling it after him.

Di Roy massaged his foot consolingly before he followed the pack.

...

Grimmjow, nearly bored out of his mind, lifted just enough hay so he could see what was going on; his cerulean eyes glowing from the shadows. What he noticed as he was being pulled down what he presumed was the main street of this kingdom was the difference in culture this place had from his home. The people were all smiling and happy with their jobs, most everyone was dressed in nice clothes, and even the animals seemed content about just wandering around aimlessly.

It spoke to the Court Guard's nature. This place suited him so well, didn't it?

When he saw someone giving a child some money, he grimaced. _"No wonder he didn't want me to kill that kid. Shit like this must happen every day in this god forsaken kingdom. Too bad he won't be coming back to this place ever again."_ he thought with a smirk.

Shawlong noticed when the crowds of people got smaller since the area they had traveled to was much less active. It was then he decided to instruct everyone to duck off into an alley.

"That would have been less obvious if we weren't pulling a wagon full of hay." Edrad commented once they were successfully out of sight.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!" Grimmjow asked angrily, sticking his hooded head out of the hay.

"Enough. We need to wait for Yylfordt. It'd be to our advantage if we aren't found out while we do." Shawlong said seriously. He walked over to and then leaned his back against one of the walls in the alley.

Grimmjow climbed out from under the hay and sat on top of it.

Something else he noticed about this place was that even the alleyways seemed warm and inviting. Looking to the ground, he noticed that instead of dirt or trash, like in Los Noches, these alleys' grounds were neatly bricked.

"This place makes me want to barf. It's way too perfect." Edrad said, and then sat down next to the wagon.

"Well, this kingdom is governed by their Head Captain, and he answers to the high king of the land. Since this is the secondary kingdom of Earthia's ultimate ruler, it had best be neat and orderly, otherwise, what would that say about him?" Shawlong commented.

"It still makes me wanna barf." The redhead reiterated.

After a while of waiting patiently, Grimmjow pulled his hood off and then laid back on the hay, boredom taking hold of him. The light from the sun soon found its way to the alley and lit it up, causing him to roll his eyes.

Edrad nailed it when he said this place was too perfect. It was too lacking in what felt like reality to him. Which was the pain, crime, and strife known throughout most of Los Noches's backstreets.

A few children ran through the alley past their group, playing a game of tag or something. A woman came out from one of the shops and put a bag of trash into the garbage can. Another woman hung her laundry on a line from the third story of one of the buildings. A few birds came and landed around Grimmjow, chirping irritatingly to no end.

"Get lost!" he shouted, and sat up to scare them away.

Effortlessly, he shattered the silence and serenity that had enveloped the area.

"Master Grimmjow, keep your voice down!" Shawlong hissed.

"I can't take this shit anymore! Where the hell is Yylfordt!?" said man brooded.

"Right above you, Master Grimmjow!"

Everyone looked up to the rooftops. And there he was. Yylfordt, standing confidently, grinning from ear to ear, and looking down at them.

"It's about damned time." Grimmjow stated.

"Did you guys miss me?"

"Not really." Di Roy answered.

"It was actually quiet back home for once." Nakeem muttered.

"Whatever…" the blonde said, and then jumped onto the hay next to Grimmjow.

"What took you so long to get to us?" Shawlong asked.

"Sorry, I had to travel without Sonídoing in order to keep my Reiatsu from becoming too noticeable. If those Court Guards found out I was here, they'd have sought me out and the plan would've been ruined."

"So what intelligence did you gather on our target?"

"I found out a sure way to get the boy to come with us." Yylfordt said, and started playing with some hay.

"Out with it!" Grimmjow shouted.

"Sheesh… impatient as always…"

"Quit stalling and tell us!" Di Roy ordered.

"Hey, you're not the boss of me!" Yylfordt retorted. When he turned and saw Grimmjow's face turning red, he cleared his throat. "Well, he's got a woman. I don't know much about her, or if she's his girlfriend or anything, but he definitely seems to have a soft spot for her. I watched him a few nights and noticed he was extra protective of her. He made sure to walk her home whenever she visited him while he was doing whatever it was he did in that strange candy shop. She seems pretty weak, so we should be able to capture her easily. The problem is I think he'll most likely fight to get her back."

"Really…?" Grimmjow asked, mostly to himself, though.

"That's right. But uh… what will we do about the other Court Guards? If he fights, they're surely going to step in to help him."

Grimmjow jumped down from the top of the hay and dusted himself off before speaking, "Fuck it! Take them on! They're gonna come to his aid if they sense him fighting anyway, so keep them busy at any cost. I'm going to take him on alone. Nakeem, I want you to take care of the girl. Don't kill her unless I give the order."

"Right."

"Master, you agreed to a silent operation where we would take the boy without incident!" Shawlong said.

"Look who's being soft now." Grimmjow responded condescendingly.

"But-"

"Are you going to disobey me, Shawlong?"

"… I'd never dream of it, sir."

"Hey, how will Nakeem know what girl to look for? I'm the one who saw her." Yylfodt said.

"Give him a visual. I need you to fight, Yylfordt." Grimmjow said.

"Che… fine…" the blonde responded.

He wanted to take the girl and possibly work his charms on her...

The bluenette turned to the group after Yylfordt showed Nakeem who to capture. "Okay. Everyone," he began, "your objectives are clear. Nakeem takes the girl, everyone else is to keep these pathetic Court Guards out of my way. Do not fail me!"

"Right." Edrad said.

Di Roy cracked his neck and knuckles excitedly. "It's about time, now the fun begins!" he shouted with a wicked grin.

"Move out!" Grimmjow said, and then raised his hand dismissively.

With that, all five of his subordinates disappeared from his side. After spitefully kicking the wagon of hay over, he jumped to the rooftop above and then tore in the direction he felt the Court Guard Kurosaki's Reiatsu coming from with a smirk of exhilaration.

* * *

Sitting alone in Byakuya's garden was Ichigo. He had taken Rukia's advice and decided that on his day off, today, he would meditate.

After picking up a cherry blossom petal that had fallen beside him, he sighed. That Espada's... or previous Espada's... Reiatsu still seemed to be hugged up with his, and it was driving him crazy trying to rid himself of it.

Meditating seemed like the best option to regulate his thoughts, and mentally and physically prepare himself for the next time he had to fight. The thing that calmed and distracted him from that was how glad he was that war hadn't broken out between Seireitei and Los Noches because of what Grimmjow had done.

"_Most importantly, Rukia and Renji are alive. Plus, I'm not his sex slave anymore…"_ he thought with a content smile.

Looking to the blue sky above, he knew he'd have to do everything in his power to keep everyone safe.

When his training began, Shinji had asked him something along the lines of, "Without control, can you call it power?"

Well, it had been at least a month. He was sure he had more control over his Reiatsu now; even with Grimmjow's attached to it.

"I'd better start meditating…" he commented, realizing that he was wasting time.

After getting into a meditative pose, he closed his eyes and took in the plentiful sounds of the garden. The flowing water in the stream a few feet away from him, the birds singing their songs on the branches of the cherry blossom trees, the fish splashing about every so often, it was all exceptionally relaxing.

It took a while for him to reach his point of concentration, but when did, he felt everything fade away and he was left in complete darkness.

It was… frightening...

"There isn't a speck of light in sight…" he said.

Then, without warning, a radiant light shined in front of him. His father, Karin, and Yuzu's smiling faces appeared inside it, and then vanished. In his subconscious state of mind, he reached out for them in order to get them back. However, he was unable to reach them as they had been long gone from his sight.

A multitude of others emerged. Matsumoto, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Hinamori, Kira, and Hisagi appeared, but all quickly vanished into the darkness just like his family had. Then Rukia and Byakuya did the same. Renji, Chad, Senna, and Ishida followed after them. Nelliel, Kon, Pantera, and a bird that resembled a phoenix, were the next ones to go.

A golden light suddenly surrounded him, shining some light on his surroundings, and he looked up to see tears running down Inoue's beautiful face. She was doing her best to save him, her voice echoing as she begged him not to die.

"What's going on…?" he asked himself in shock, his voice echoing about in the darkness as well.

After rising from the ground, he saw his body lying in a pool of blood that was seeped into some kind of foreign pattern beneath him and Inoue.

"What the- agh!"

Suddenly, he was in darkness again. Things faded in once more and the next thing he witnessed was all of Earthia turning into a desolate wasteland. Trees were decaying, water was scarce and what remained of it was polluted, and the sky was dark and ominous as though the sun had never existed…

"What is this?!" he asked in pure horror.

"_You can save it… And you can save them… You will gain the power to save everything… with his help…"_ a benevolent, feminine voice called out to him.

He was drawn from all of the disturbing visions that were clouded in darkness by something warm. It was a pair of arms that he swore he recognized, but he didn't know where he recognized them from.

He was now in light, surrounded by tiny bursts of vibrant energy.

When he tried to reach out and grab hold of one, a streak of light blue energy appeared in front of him. The gravity around him became heavy and he fell to his knees.

Ichigo's eyes shot open and he fell forward, gasping for air and sweating, "What did I just see…?!" he asked aloud.

It was then that he noticed the increase in gravity wasn't part of his vision, it was actually due to a Reiatsu being forced onto him.

Turning around, Ichigo was shocked to see Grimmjow standing on the roof. He was looking down at him with his sword over his shoulder and a scowl on his face. "Why are you here?! How did you find me?!" he asked with wide eyes.

"There are much more important things to discuss." Grimmjow responded. "There's someone I think you should see." He continued, and then smirked.

When Grimmjow snapped his fingers, a screen appeared in thin air. Ichigo stood up with wide eyes as he saw Inoue being held by a large man who was holding a sword to her neck. As soon as he saw a tear escape her eye, he blared his Reiatsu violently.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!" he shouted crossly.

"Do you want to see her head rolling at her feet?" Grimmjow asked with a wicked grin.

"LET HER GO! SHE'S DONE NOTHING TO DESERVE-"

"It doesn't matter what she has or hasn't done! She's simply a pawn in this situation, nothing more and nothing less."

Ichigo bawled his hands up into fists, digging his fingernails into the palm of his hands. "GRIMMJOW!" he roared heatedly.

As he stared up at the man, he wondered where the hell the captains were right now. How could Inoue have been kidnapped without someone noticing?! How had Grimmjow gotten into the kingdom without being noticed?!

"I've got a neat little proposition for you, Court Guard."

"FUCK YOU! LET INOUE GO!"

With a grin, Grimmjow lifted his sword and thrust it into the spot on the roof next to his foot before he continued. "I'll have the girl released if _and only if_ you fight me and are able to defeat me. However, if you cannot win, you are to come back with me to Los Noches. What say you to that?"

"What happens to Inoue if I lose?!" Ichigo asked. Honestly, there was no choice in the matter, which is why he didn't even consider not fighting.

Besides having kidnapped Inoue, Grimmjow was an intruder in his kingdom. That meant he had to be dealt with.

"Who knows? If I'm feeling in a good mood, I might let her live. She's not the reason I came here, anyway."

"Grimmjow…! I'll stop you one way or another!" Ichigo said, and then picked up Zangetsu.

Grimmjow started laughing maniacally, so much so that his jaw-like skeletal mask opened proportionately. That look of scorn and malice... This is what he'd come to this pitiful kingdom for!

**I know many of you want Grimmjow to be less of an ass, but I looove reading/writing development. So trust me, it's coming.**

**Also, there are some important things mentioned in this chapter, some of which seemed unimportant lol. Hope you caught them.**

**Submit a review! The story is so close to 100 reviews!**


	14. wings of universe, a fleeting ability

**R & R**

wings of universe, a fleeting ability

Practically soaring through the kingdom in search of any Reiatsu that was above that of an average human's, Di Roy flashed his spaced out teeth when he finally picked one up. "Heheeeh! I'll kill 'em dead!" he howled excitedly over the wind, speeding towards the person.

He laughed as the aftermath of his Sonído caused people who had yet to evacuate the area to fall over. The looks of pure terror in their eyes and screams they gave as they saw him only furthered his desire to see something dead at his feet.

"There you are!" he said when he reached his target. Coming to a complete halt on one of the rooftops in the Karakura division of the kingdom, he leered down at the dark-skinned, brown-haired man who was considerably large compared to the other people he'd seen walking around this uppity kingdom.

Chad noticed the Arrancar's presence and looked up with wide eyes when he felt how powerful his Reiatsu was. "Who… who are you?" he asked.

"It's useless for me to tell you who I am, considering I'm about to wipe you out! It'd be nothing but a waste of my time and breath." Di Roy responded.

When the malicious man charged towards him with his hand outstretched, Chad lifted his arm, "Brazo Derecha-"

"Too late!" Di Roy shouted.

A loud clang echoed down the street and a gust of wind blew at the grass and trees along the sidewalk.

"I think not, Arrancar!"

Chad stood stock still, his eyes wide open, staring at Rukia, who had intercepted the attack.

Hand gripping the girl's white blade that glistened lavender in the sunlight, Di Roy looked Rukia up and down. "Who the hell are you?" he asked.

"Chad, are you okay?" the girl asked her comrade, ignoring Di Roy's question completely.

"Rukia…"

"I'll take care of this. You go and make sure everyone else is okay. I'm worried about Ishida and Inoue. Not to mention Tatsuki and the others."

"… But…" Chad remained in place, still feeling very vulnerable. What had appeared of his shield arm vanished and he looked to the ground.

"It's okay, Chad. You were off guard, and it's not your fault. These guys attacked us out of the blue-"

"I ASKED WHO THE FUCK YOU ARE!" Di Roy interrupted, clenching the blade in his hand furiously.

Rukia turned to the man and grinned. "I'm under no obligation to answer that, intruder."

"Tch! Fuck you!"

"Get going, Chad!"

"R-right…" the large man responded, and then took off searching for Inoue's Reiatsu. If he was lucky, she would have at least been with Tatsuki and Honsho.

Releasing Rukia's blade and stepping back from her, Di Roy smirked. He didn't think it'd take very long to defeat this girl. She looked even weaker than the big guy. "This won't take long. And when I'm done with you, I'll take out that other guy!"

"Hmph, if you're feeling confident, then why haven't you attacked me? Too weak to back those words up?"

"Y-you little bitch! I'll tear your fucking heart out!"

Angrily, Di Roy charged at Rukia, aiming his hand at the girl's chest. He was going in for the kill!

His hand clashed against the girl's blade, the force of his attack enough to send her flying backwards.

Catching her footing on the telephone pole she was about to crash into, Rukia was about to counter, but Di Roy was over to her in an instant, and he grabbed her by the neck. "Now it's time to rip out this smug fucking throat of yours!" he shouted.

"Gyah!" the girl cried out in pain, gripping his arm with her free hand.

"You were never a match for me!" Before he could kill her, the ground started glowing in a circle around the two of them. When ice started building around his feet and lower calves, Di Roy quickly broke it and jumped into the air to avoid being frozen, dropping the girl in the process. "Stupid bitch! That trick will never beat anyo- huh!?"

A beam of ice shot up from the circle of white light, encasing the belligerent man in a cylinder of ice that stretched up to the limitless sky.

"*huff* *huff* Sorry… but I can't afford… to die here…" Rukia panted as she stood up in front of her tower of ice.

Bringing her hands to her neck soothingly, she wondered if there were going to be marks on it. But there was no time for her to celebrate or relax just yet. She could feel Ichigo's Reiatsu blaring, and knew she needed to get to him.

"Hang on, Ichigo! I'm on my way!" she said, and then started running in the direction she felt his energy coming from.

* * *

"Heh! Are you supposed to be my opponent?" Edrad asked, sizing the man in just a ways ahead of him.

"Well, you invaded my kingdom and caused havoc to the townspeople. I don't have any choice but to take you down." Ikkaku responded, his shaved head shining in the sunlight.

The two of them were standing out in the wide, evacuated main street of Seireitei. From where he stood, Edrad could see the kingdom's massive headquarters in the distance. That's where he had been headed because that's where five of the strongest Reiatsu were coming from.

He looked behind the man with the shaved head to the other man who was sitting at an outside table of one of the emptied restaurants and looking bored as he ran his fingers through his dark, shoulder-length hair.

"Try not to take too long, okay Ikkaku? I had plans today, and I'm not one for letting brutes like him interrupt them." Yumichika said.

"I'm not going with you anyway, so why don't you just go now?" Ikkaku responded after turning and looking back over his shoulder at his companion.

"Yeah, but most of the captains are out on business or missions. It's our job to deal with threats while they're gone. So I can't just leave. It'd tarnish my pride as a Court Guard."

"Yeah yeah…" Ikkaku said, and turned back to Edrad. "Let's not draw this out, alright?"

"Wouldn't dream of it." Edrad smirked.

* * *

Also headed towards the central headquarters, where he could sense the most powerful Reiatsu, was Shawlong. He wasn't planning to storm the place like Edrad, but he did plan to keep a close watch to make sure none of the captains headed to where Grimmjow was.

After getting to the gates of the Thirteen Courts, he was surprised when wall of ice stopped him from advancing any further.

Turning around, he was faced with a tan, white-haired young man with light teal eyes who was glaring at him.

"And just who might you be?" he asked, drawing his sword in the process. "Judging from your Reiatsu, you're one of the captains… but how did you manage to get around me? I never felt a thing."

"I'm much more skilled than you think, Arrancar. As head of the Tenth Division of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, I cannot turn a blind eye to this treachery. I take it Aizen is now working against us? Or are you fools just a rogue platoon?"

"What does it matter? We're here, so why are the other four captains not joining in on this fight?"

It was strange that only one of the thirteen captains had stepped out to fight. In fact, it seemed that there were only five signatures that registered as captains…

"Head Captain Yamamoto trusts that I can take you on. The others are kind of busy at the moment." Tōshirō said.

It wasn't so much as busy… Captain Kurotsuchi said he was too busy with his research on frost fusions* to do this 'plebeian job', and Ukitake was in recovery from spending too much time in the sun under Unohana's watchful eye. Apart from them, he was the only other captain who did not have a mission outside of the kingdom. This was just what he needed, too. Dealing with Aizen's subordinates since he had been advised not to attend the meeting the last time his followers raised their hand against one of Seireitei's soldiers was fantastic. Yamamoto had been sure his temper and feelings about what Aizen had done to Hinamori would prevent him from keeping a level head while looking Aizen in the face, so he asked him to sit out of the meeting.

"I know Aizen is up to no good, and I knew it the moment he betrayed Seireitei. You lackeys have only furthered my suspicions with your foolish actions." The tan-skinned youth said.

"Think whatever you want, little man. Your reasoning will be meaningless when you're dead at my feet."

"You think so, huh?"

"Oh I'm very sure." Shawlong said assuredly, and then released his Zanpakutō.

With shards of ice already floating around him, Tōshirō closed his eyes contemptuously. "I have no choice but to put an end to you here. It's nothing personal… Bankai… Daiguren Hyōrinmaru!"

* * *

On top of two buildings that were across the street from one another were Renji and Yylfordt.

"Hmm, I was looking for a captain to fight. You're not a captain." Yylfordt said, scorn and condescension clear in his voice.

Renji smirked and stuck his thumb against his chest confidently. "I'm a Lieutenant! Most of our captains are busy at the moment." he said, knowing it wouldn't be the best idea to let the enemy know that more than half of their captains were currently out of the kingdom. "Our Head Captain sensed you fools and said none of your Reiatsu posed any threat to us."

"Rrgh… Don't you _dare_ look down on us, cocky bastards!" the blonde man shouted, clenching his fists furiously. "Your confidence will be your downfall!"

"Speak for yourself! I don't know what the hell is going on, but it _seems_ like you all are declaring a war against us. Then again, you're all just lowly followers, aren't you? Not even Espada. I don't think Aizen wouldn't be stupid enough to send the underlings of his underlings to fight... or maybe I'm mistaken…"

"Heheh. What you bastards don't know is that there _is_ an Espada among us… well, someone with the power of an Espada that is."

Wide-eyed, Renji figured he already knew who it was. He turned when he felt Ichigo's Reiatsu blaring, and was immediately one hundred percent sure it was that Espada from that time outside of Los Noches kingdom's gate. "Ichigo…" he mumbled concernedly.

"You'd best worry about yourself. You may not survive this attack!" Yylfordt said from right up behind him, and then made to stab the confident redhead.

"Rrgh!" Renji grunted, lifting his sword defensively to counter.

"Let me show you the difference between your power and mine!" the blonde shouted, and released his Zanpakutō.

Jumping back on the building behind him, Renji didn't even wait for the smoke to clear to make his move. He lifted his own Zanpakutō and grinned. "I'll show you that underestimating our kingdom is your biggest mistake… Baaankaaii! Hihio! Zabimaruuu!" he shouted.

"Let's get down to business then!" Yylfordt said, jetting through the smoke at the other man.

* * *

"Hragh!" Ichigo cried out as he was sent tumbling through the city from one of Grimmjow's powerful kicks.

After crashing through six buildings, he realized he had to get away from the city if he wanted to spare any innocent lives, not to mention keep his friends from interfering with his battle. It was already on a level none of them could handle.

It sounded like a good idea, but he doubted Grimmjow would let him leave the area so easily. He seemed to love destroying things, after all.

With a long grunt, Ichigo picked himself up and knocked the heavy rubble off of him. He then hopped up on top of the building next door to the one he'd crashed into so he wouldn't be in such an enclosed space.

"_I can't leave the city until I find Inoue…"_ Taking a deep breath, he sent out his Reiatsu in all directions to search for her energy. If she was being held, chances are it was spiking uncontrollably.

"_Where are they holding you, Inoue!?" _he thought, getting anxious as he felt Grimmjow's massive Reiatsu approaching him.

Breaking his concentration and lifting his sword, he guarded against a lethal strike from the other man.

"You'd better pay attention, or you're gonna end up dead!"

"Don't you tell me what to do!" Ichigo retorted.

For what felt like forever, he fended Grimmjow off, doing his best to try and find Inoue in the process. It was no easy task, either. Concentrating on two things, that one normally had to devote all their attention to, nearly cost him gravely more than once.

"You're wasting your time and Reiatsu searching for her while trying to fight me at the same time!" Grimmjow shouted. He could feel Ichigo's energy depleting from overexertion, and knew he'd be able to defeat him soon if he kept searching for the girl.

Though he really didn't want to, Ichigo temporarily gave up on searching for Inoue. The best time to find her would be _after_ he defeated Grimmjow. If he lost this battle, it would be pointless knowing where she was, anyway.

Turning from defending to all out offense, he charged the larger man and struck his blade as many times as he possibly could. Although he hated to admit it, Grimmjow was right. Searching for Inoue and fighting for so long had definitely taken its toll on him.

"Ichigo! Your Reiatsu is almost gone!" Zangetsu warned.

"I know…!" the boy responded telepathically.

Staring at the former Espada who seemed full of energy, he figured the best thing for him to do would be to release his new power while he still had the chance. So that's exactly what he did.

"Come forth, wings of universe!" he shouted, lifting his sword skyward.

As soon as he did, a wave of radiant energy descended to him from the blue sky, and circled him twice. Once it touched him, steam started emanating from his body, surrounding him in a cloud of steam.

At first, Grimmjow was shocked that the Court Guard still had another power to call on. But that shock soon vanished as he stood in place, grinning from ear to ear, wondering just how much of a challenge it would provide. When the steam cleared, he immediately noticed there was something different about the boy. From where he was, he thought he was seeing wings of white energy on Ichigo's back that glistened as though there were stars or some other form of cosmic energy fueling them.

"What the hell is that?!" he shouted. The weight of this form was nearly unbearable, and he wasn't even that close to him.

"Sorry, but I don't have time to explain it to you. I can't keep this power for long, so I'll end this quickly." The boy responded seriously.

In about three seconds flat, he closed the open space between himself and Grimmjow, swinging his sword at him unmercifully.

"Tch!" Grimmjow grunted, and lifted his blade to defend.

The two of them stayed in place like that for a few seconds, until Ichigo jumped above him and called on the power of his Getsuga Tensho. It was so powerful and heavy that it sent Grimmjow flying towards the ground.

"I won't give you time to recover." Ichigo said, and flew after him at breakneck speed.

Lifting his hand as he fell, Grimmjow charged a Cero and fired it at Ichigo, who stopped and took it head on.

Using his sword, Ichigo screamed out as he tore through the Cero and caused it to disperse in the sky around him. It was no easy feat either.

"For fuck's sake! It's only been a month! What the hell did you do in that time?!" the bluenette asked angrily as the wind whipped past him while he continued to fall.

"*huff* *huff*I don't have time to talk with you. And I already told you won't let you recover!"

Ichigo's wings and speed came through for him again. In just a second he was next to Grimmjow, and prepared to put an end to their fight. Just as he was about to, his cosmic wings fled, nearly costing him his Bankai in the process.

"_U-ugh! No…! My power!"_ he thought fearfully as the energy dispersed.

Grimmjow was taken aback when he saw it happen. His expression quickly turned from a surprised one to one of exhilaration. "Heheh!"

He grabbed Ichigo by the arm, flew him to the ground, and then slammed him against it.

"Aaaugh!" the boy screamed out.

"Kehehahahahaah!" he cackled excitedly. "How fucking useless! It's powerful, that's for sure, but what's the point if you even can't keep it for a measly ten seconds!? I'll admit you had me on the ropes for a second there, but there was never any doubt that _I_ was going to win this fight!"

Ichigo coughed, spitting out blood from the force of his collision with the ground, before he got up on his knees and elbows.

Grimmjow smirked sinisterly and then swiftly ran the boy's right forearm through with his sword, pinning him to the ground in the process.

Ichigo's eyes couldn't have gone wider the moment he saw it happen. And the pain he felt caused him to scream out in agony. He bent forward and closed his eyes to avoid looking at his new, startling wound.

With a manic smirk on his face, Grimmjow walked up in front of the boy and aimed his palm at him. "You were never any match for me!" He shouted elatedly.

"… *huff* *huff* Grimm…jow… *huff* please… please don't kill her…" Ichigo managed to say through the throbbing pain in his arm.

"Heh! You couldn't beat me, so why should I let the girl live?"

"No… NOOOO! DON'T KILL HER! PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU!"

"It's time to put an end to this. You're getting even more pathetic by the second." The bluenette said disappointedly, with a Cero charging at the palm of his hand. "Getting hit at this close a range will take off that worrying little head of yours!" he sneered.

Ichigo stared into the red light that was glowing brighter with each passing second. He couldn't do it. Even after all of his training… this was how it ended… Had it all been for nothing…?

"Tsugi no Mai…"

Grimmjow quickly whipped around, his cerulean eyes going wide at the white light that was glowing under the girl he was almost sure he killed that time the first fought the Court Guard.

"I-I thought I killed you! This is impossible!" he shouted disbelievingly.

How was it possible that she survived with the wound he gave her?! There had definitely been a hole in her stomach the last time he'd seen her!

For each of the four times she dipped her white sword into the ground, tiny white ice storms formed in front of Rukia. Lifting her Zanpakutō, she aimed it at Grimmjow and smiled. "Hakuren!"

A large wave of snowy ice flew in Grimmjow's direction, which he was unable to dodge. It quickly encased him in a blanket of crystal-like ice, rendering him completely immobile.

"Ichigo!" Rukia called out, and then ran over to him. "Are you all right?!" she asked.

The boy rolled his eyes when she reached him. "I've… got a sword stuck in my arm… I'm definitely _not_ okay…"

Bending over, Rukia observed the wound. "Don't be snippy with me! What the hell happened to you? Did your training mean nothing? And what was that power I felt you using? It didn't feel like the power of a Court Guard…" she said, and then took Grimmjow's sword into her hands to try pulling it out of the boy's arm.

"AAAGH, DAMN IT!" Ichigo shouted at the top of his lungs, closing his eyes from the pain.

"I know! I'm sorry… Just bear with it until I get this thing out of there…!" After a few seconds of pulling with no success, Rukia grimaced. "This thing is really stuck in there! It's not budging at all… How did this even happen?! Were you being careless against such a powerful enemy?!"

"… Just… stop talking…" Ichigo responded, depression and frustration clear in his voice.

"Ichigo…" Rukia said.

The boy avoided making eye contact with her altogether. He was still wondering how he could have lost to Grimmjow a second time. Even with Shinji's help, it meant nothing against Grimmjow.

And now he wouldn't be able to call on that new power again for God knew how long…

He felt so useless…

The sound of ice cracking caused both him and Rukia to turn.

Grimmjow's hand shot out of it, and he grabbed hold of Rukia's head. The ice at his head and upper body shattered, and he glared in the girl's direction wrathfully. "You little…! You _really_ thought you could stop me by trapping me under A THIN SHEET OF ICE?! YOU'RE A FUCKING IDIOT!" he shouted.

Looking up at Grimmjow, Rukia felt her life flashing before her eyes. She was experiencing true terror. And for just a second, she wondered if this is what Ichigo had been dealing with all this time.

There were no words she could say. She knew this was the end.

"LOOK AT YOU! YOU'RE PRACTICALLY BESIDE YOURSELF WITH FEAR!" the blue-haired man continued.

"RUKIA!" Ichigo shouted.

"DIE YOU LITTLE-"

A green blast came out of nowhere, striking Grimmjow's arm, halting his attack, and nearly searing his arm. It sizzled as smoke rose off of it.

Everyone quickly looked around to see where the attack had come from.

Grimmjow squinted angrily when his eyes landed on a man standing up on a rooftop who was resting a sword over his shoulder.

Enraged, but keeping himself contained, he scowled at the man. "Who the hell are you?" he asked, smoke still rising from his arm.

His question caused Rukia and Ichigo to pinpoint their defender.

"Does that really matter?" the man asked.

"No, I guess you're right. A no-named chump like you won't be breathing for much longer, anyway! Once I knock those long ass teeth out of your mouth, I'll rip your throat out and shove it up your ass!"

"I see we've got a vulgar one…"

Turning from Shinji to look at Grimmjow, Ichigo was sure they would battle. It was inevitable considering their clashing personalities.

"I see…" Shinji commented, "So you're the one who marked him…" he said to the bluenette.

After breaking the ice at the lower half of his body, Grimmjow took a few steps and stopped in front of Ichigo, who looked up at him anxiously.

"I'll be back to finish you off when I'm finished with him!" He commented, and then snatched his sword out of the boy's arm.

"GYAAAAAUGH!" Ichigo cried out, bending forward and gripping his arm tightly.

When Grimmjow jumped up onto a roof near Shinji, Rukia shook herself out of her fear-induced, paralyzed state and saw Ichigo's arm bleeding profusely with him holding it protectively. "Ichigo! Are you alright!?"

"Uuugh… I… I'm okay…" the boy responded, panting while looking towards the ground. Sweat ran down his brow and nose, and then dripped onto the rocks below.

"Come on, let's get you out of here."

Shaking his head, he looked up at Rukia. "I can't… If I leave, Inoue is done for. They've kidnapped her… to make me fight…" he stated, still feeling the pain coursing through his forearm.

"N-no way!"

"Yeah… So I have to stay and… make sure… Grimmjow is defeated…" the boy said, falling forward onto the short girl.

Looking up to the sky, he could see that Shinji and Grimmjow had already started fighting.

…

Shinji quickly stepped back and dodged a barrage of sword slashes from the reckless, vulgar, blue-haired man. For one attack though, he wasn't fast enough, so he used his sword to defend himself.

Grimmjow squinted past their opposing swords at this man, in a state of pure rage that he dared to interfere with his battle. "Are you his ally!?"

"You can think whatever you want to." Shinji responded.

"I guess it doesn't matter one way or another. Anyone who aims an attack at me… IS AN ENEMY!" Grimmjow shouted, and used a Sonído to get above the man. With as much force as possible, he slammed his foot against the top of Shinji's head, sending him crashing into the building below them.

"Agh…" Shinji commented. After sitting up and holding his head, he looked around at the remains of the building. "This was somebody's house, you know? Try to be less of an ass and stop destroying shit. They'll be disappointed when they come home, and it's all your fault!"

"Fuck you!" Grimmjow responded, and then aimed his hand at him.

"_Shit! He's gonna do that!"_ Shinji thought. Quickly, he appeared behind Grimmjow and harshly connected the heel of his foot with the man's side, sending him flying across the sky.

"WERE THOSE WINGS?!" Rukia shouted with wide eyes from the ground below. She could swear she saw wings of energy on Shinji's back for a moment.

"Shit!" Grimmjow cursed, unable to stop due to the pressure of the wind whipping past him.

Raising his sword wielding hand, Shinji looked down at Ichigo for a second, then back at his target. "It's time to end you."

"Tch!" Lifting his own hand, Grimmjow fired a Cero in the opposite direction he was flying in. The force was enough to help him stop and start to catch his breath, which was all he could do considering how hard that guy had kicked him.

His cerulean eyes went wide when he saw a red light appear at the man's hand. "Impossible! How could he use a-"

"Cero!" Shinji said, and fired his attack. He smiled when it hit his target and sent him flying to the ground with smoke around him.

With a thunderous boom, Grimmjow crashed to the ground, causing it to quake greatly from how hard he hit it.

Rukia and Ichigo stared in complete disbelief at the newly-formed crater just a few feet ahead of them.

Grimmjow had been… defeated?

Ichigo held his bleeding arm and stood up, taking a few steps to see the man in the smoking crater. He stopped when Shinji landed in front of him.

"Shinji…"

"You did well to avoid taking that attack head on. Firing your own Cero to counter was a strategically wise move. Didn't think you had a brain under that brawn." The blonde said.

Looking over Shinji's shoulder, Ichigo was surprised to see Grimmjow on his hands and knees, panting as the smoke on his body cleared. Noticeably, the top half of his clothes was completely gone and he was riddled with cuts and scrapes. _"Grimm…jow…"_ he thought, admittedly worried about him.

"Damn! Damn! Damn! DAMN! DAMN! DAMN! DAAAMN!" Grimmjow coughed, spitting out blood in the process.

Shinji started walking towards the man. "This is over. You put up a decent fight, but now it's time for me to end your struggle." He said, lifting his hand.

Ichigo was unable to comprehend where the concern he felt for Grimmjow was coming from. He pushed it to the dark recesses of his mind and did his best to see this as what was right. This is what he deserved for all he had done, after all.

Without hesitation, Grimmjow lifted his hand and aimed it at Shinji when the blonde got close to him. He knew that without Pantera, his Resurrección state wouldn't be nearly as powerful. It was his mistake, leaving him behind, but he never imagined he'd face anyone more powerful than Kurosaki. This would be the next best thing to rid himself of this long-toothed menace. _"If this guy has the power of an Arrancar, then this should work on him even if he doesn't have a hole!"_

Shinji looked down in curiosity as a violet, unstable sphere appeared in Grimmjow's palm. He was shocked when it flew slowly at him, and to his surprise, he was unable to dodge it.

"Shit!" he exclaimed as violet and white light shot out from it and surrounded him.

When Shinji disappeared, Ichigo opened his mouth in disbelief. "Wh-what the hell…?!" he asked.

Stepping out of the large crater, Grimmjow took note of his surroundings to make sure no more enemies would show up, and then started walking over to Ichigo. He fell over onto his hands and knees and panted heavily for a second, but got up again to reach his prey. Stopping right in front of Ichigo, he glared down at the shorter man. "It's time for you to go. You lost our battle, remember?" He spoke.

"Ichigo! No!" Drawing her sword again, Rukia scowled at Grimmjow. She dipped it into the ground once, but before she could finish her attack, Grimmjow sprinted past Ichigo over to her, picked her up, and then harshly slammed her onto the pavement.

"Rukia!" Ichigo shouted.

"Kyaaah!" the girl screamed after Grimmjow stomped her stomach. The last thing she saw before everything faded out was Ichigo hurrying over and calling out to her.

His voice, she could not hear...

Turning from his defeated target, Grimmjow sneered at Ichigo, causing the boy to stop dead in his tracks. "You don't have the Reiatsu to fight me." He said to him seriously.

"GRIMMJOW!" Ichigo shouted, and then started panting. He could feel that he would faint from using that ancient power… but now wasn't the time for that! Inoue and Rukia needed him to defeat this guy!

"I'm not going to kill you. Come back to Los Noches with me."

A deafening silence surrounded Ichigo after hearing those words. The way he said it… it sounded… like he _wanted_ him to come back. Like that's all he'd come here for in the first place.

Trying to keep himself standing was futile. Ichigo fell forward right onto Grimmjow, his nose hitting the man's collar-bone as he did. It took everything out of him not to pass out, but he managed to keep himself conscious. "… If… If I go back with you willingly… Will you release Inoue and… leave my kingdom in peace?" he asked against the man's battle-scarred skin.

"Of course." Grimmjow said.

"How can I… trust you…?"

"You can't. You'll just have to take a gamble on me."

"… Fine… I'll… I'll go with you…"

As soon as he heard those words escape the boy's lips, Grimmjow fluctuated his Reiatsu twice.

Still panting against Grimmjow's chest, Ichigo put the hand of his uninjured arm on the man's shoulder to try and stand up straight. He stopped and turned when two Reiatsu appeared on a rooftop to his left, one of which was Inoue's.

Nakeem held the sword to Inoue's neck, looking down at Grimmjow questionably.

"Let her go." Grimmjow said.

Doing just as he was told, Nakeem put his sword away and jumped to the ground next to his master, leaving the girl up on the rooftop.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Inoue shouted, falling to her knees with her arms still bound behind her back.

Ichigo fell to his knees as well, right in front of Grimmjow, panting heavily. He smiled knowing she was safe. _"Thank goodness."_

"Stand up, Court Guard." Grimmjow said.

"I… I can't…"

"Tch! You really are pathetic." The bluenette spoke, and then bent down. He lifted the boy's chin to make him look him in the eyes before smirking.

Ichigo gasped when he felt a fist crash against his stomach. "Aah… ugh…" Again, things started fading just like the first time he lost to Grimmjow. But… Inoue was safe, and so were Rukia and everyone else. He could feel that no one had died, so he knew he could go without anything holding him back this time around.

Falling forward onto the man, he lost consciousness against Grimmjow's larger frame.

"Mission success." The bluenette said.

Picking the boy up under his right arm, and that ebony sword of his with his left hand, Grimmjow stood up and wasted no time using a Sonído to get through the kingdom to the large, stone gates. He crashed through them effortlessly and kept speeding until he reached the path that would lead him to Los Noches with Nakeem on his tail.

"Where are the others?" he asked, not even looking back at the man.

"… They've all been killed… Shawlong just fell to his opponent a few minutes ago… He was the last of them…" Nakeem responded as he ran.

Grimmjow closed his eyes, a bit pained at the news. He never imagined he'd lose his men like this. But this was _their_ plan, after all. Each one of them knew the risks that came with it. "We have to keep moving. I want to get back to Los Noches before nightfall." He said, not showing any emotion to the last Fracción he had.

"Right. I won't fall behind." Nakeem said. The moment he did though, he felt a Reiatsu tailing them.

"Who the hell is that?" Grimmjow asked.

"It's an enemy. I'll take care of them."

"Nakeem! We got what we came for, don't turn back! That's an order!"

"I'm sorry, but I have to defeat the enemy at all costs. Besides, I was the only one who didn't get to taste battle against the Court Guards." Nakeem stated, before he stopped and then used a Sonído to head towards the person.

"YOU FOOL!" he heard Grimmjow, who had temporarily come to a stop, call out.

When a beautiful woman came into his sights, he stopped and smirked at her. Defeating her would definitely have its… _advantages_.

Rangiku came to an immediate halt in the grass, glaring at the large man ahead of her with her frosty eyes. "How _dare_ you people have the nerve to take Inoue hostage and then take Ichigo from our kingdom! I can't… no… I _won't_ let you get away with it!" she declared, drawing her Zanpakutō.

"Well then, show me what you got." Nakeem responded, cracking his neck after doing so.

"You're all just a gang of revolting monsters… It's time for you to Growl! Haineko!" the woman shouted, a cloud of silver-white sand immediately surrounding her and a dust-cat appearing in front of her. She definitely wasn't going to lose this battle, not after all these people had done.

* * *

Grimmjow looked down at the boy under his arm when he reached the desert. He'd got what he gone to that place for. If the last of his followers was going to disobey him even when the mission had been a success, then whatever came to him would be what he deserved.

With the sun beaming down on him, he made tracks in the golden sand. Los Noches was in his sights on the horizon.

* * *

*frost fusion- a shockwave of frost that can freeze even lava...

**Until next chapter!**


	15. the reason

**A/N: I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I was so excited to get it posted because it has a lot of development you all want, which was planned, let me assure you. Enjoy!**

the reason

Standing like a stone statue at the head of his office, with the other four remaining captains in Seireitei, was the Captain-Commander, Yamamoto.

And he was not at all pleased with the latest turn of events.

A few hours earlier, Aizen's men invaded their kingdom, causing a great deal of havoc after doing so. They six of them fought his Court Guards, and all but one of them died in their attempt to… Well, he was unsure of their motives because they had done two notable things upon sneaking past the admissions office.

Strangely enough, they had taken the Substitute Court Guard, Kurosaki Ichigo, from the kingdom. Against his will as reported by Kuchiki Rukia, who witnessed him fighting, and Matsumoto Rangiku, who claimed she saw him unconscious underneath a man's arm as he was taken away. Their intentions with him were unclear, but thanks to further information in Kuchiki Rukia's report, he'd found out it was the same man who had originally attacked them outside Los Noches.

He would be dealt with very soon.

Apart from Kurosaki Ichigo's kidnapping, the intruders had also taken hold of Inoue Orihime.

That was not something to be ignored.

Knowing of her power to reject reality and practically rewrite events, Yamamoto had been immediately suspicious of Aizen when he heard she had been captured by his underlings.

What puzzled him the most though, was why the man who previously held the title of an Espada had taken the Kurosaki boy instead of the Inoue girl.

His only conjecture was that they would probably try to take her again, and use Kurosaki as collateral to coerce her into going with them. But that still didn't explain why they left her when they had her in their grasp… _"Unless the Kurosaki boy traded himself for her sake..."_ he thought, not wanting to rule out the boy's unwavering desire to keep his friends safe. Though, that theory still didn't clear up any of his questions.

Yamamoto looked around at his remaining captains for a moment, and then closed his eyes to think as they conversed.

"Are you still experiencing any pain, Captain Tōshirō? Do I need to take a second look at you?" Unohana asked from across the office.

"I'm fine. I should be back in fighting condition within a day's time. Thank you for your concern, Captain Unohana." The short boy responded.

"Sorry I couldn't have been of more help." Ukitake muttered, feeling pretty bad that he was stuck in the infirmary when the Arrancars attacked.

"You were recovering. It's no problem, Captain Ukiatake." Tōshirō said.

"I wouldn't have allowed it in your condition, anyway." Unohana added.

Captain Kurotsuchi turned to the Head Captain. "With all this excitement, what will you do, Head Captain?"

Yamamoto opened his eyes and took another look at his four captains before speaking. "We must go into conference with the King. There is much we need to discuss with him."

All four of the other captains in the room stared at him, completely wide-eyed in shock.

Going into conference with the King was serious business. Usually, he only spoke with the Head Captain. But even _that_ was a rare occasion.

"Head Captain Yamamoto! I thought you only spoke with the King alone!" Tōshirō said.

"I need your input as well. After all, the four of you were here for the attack." Yamamoto responded.

"So what about the captains who aren't here?" Ukitake asked.

"They will be informed of our discussion and the decision we make upon their return. Now, let us begin."

After turning around to the screen mounted on the wall behind him, the long-bearded man pressed a button on his desk and waited for a response from the King.

* * *

Having waited patiently for about two hours in her captain's office, Rangiku got up from the chair at the boy's desk and walked over to the window. She unlocked and opened it to stare out at the vast kingdom she'd always known as home.

"_I can't believe we were invaded so easily… I can't imagine the regulations that will be put into place on traders now."_ She thought as the wind blew through her honey-blonde hair.

This was the first time something of this magnitude had happened. And now who know what the outcome would be between Seireitei and Los Noches.

"_Were those men acting for Aizen, or for their own sake…?" _she wondered. Aizen didn't seem like the type to just send six men into the kingdom, knowing they weren't strong enough to take on a whole army of the King's secondary court. Though… one of them did manage to get away…

When the door opened and Tōshirō entered the room, she looked at him concernedly.

"Captain." She saluted, trying to push her emotions about the matter aside.

"Hello Matsumoto. Sorry to keep you waiting." the boy greeted. After doing so, he walked over to his desk, took a seat at it, and then sighed.

"Captain, what's going on? From the looks of it, the meeting didn't go too well." The woman continued, seeing the serious look on his face.

"We've been in conference with the King."

"What?! No way!"

"Yes. He was displeased with the turn of events. Even more than he was when Aizen defected..."

Rangiku walked over to the desk and put her hands down on it, leaning in her captain's face. "Well what did he say?! What's going to happen with us and Los Noches?!"

"For now, nothing at all. The Head Captain told him that this was only strike two against Los Noches. They both wanted to avoid war as much as possible, so we're going to cut off all ties with them."

"That's it? After invading and damaging our kingdom, putting Renji and Rukia in the hospital _again_, capturing Inoue, and kidnapping Ichigo, _that's_ all we're going to do?"

"Well… Yamamoto was adamant about punishing that former Espada, since he _is_ the one who caused all of this."

"And what's he planning to do?"

Tōshirō leaned forward and his face grew even more serious than usual. "He says that man is to be put to death by public execution in Los Noches in a week's time, broadcasted for us to see. He's discussing it alone with Aizen right now."

"How serious… Such a waste of a fine man…" Rangiku said, remembering the glimpse she'd caught when she looked past that large follower of his when she tailed them.

"That's the only way we can prove to Los Noches how serious we are about maintaining the treaty we forged. Violations of that treaty have been made, and therefore, the perpetrator must be dealt with."

"Hmm… But aren't we cutting off all ties with them, anyway? What would it matter if we did prove that we're serious-"

"That man was the only person in Aizen's army to violate the arrangements in the treaty. One day, we may be on peaceful terms with them again. But first, the Head Captain wants to deal with the one who has caused all this trouble. Then we can focus on rebuilding our relationship with them. Their people need our assistance because they're in the desert, after all. He doesn't want to just forget how much we can help them."

"As hot as it gets out there, I couldn't imagine living anywhere near that place… And there's no water for miles until you reach the east coast of the continent. So I guess to them… we were like an oasis."

"Exactly. The Head Captain knows that well."

"Then… What about Ichigo?"

"He was kidnapped, that's true… The perfect test of Aizen's honor to us will come if he returns him to us within three days. If not, then we will know he is uninterested in continuing our peaceful relationship. And… war will most likely be imminent at that point."

"You don't say… It sounds like the Head Captain's got it all figured out." Rangiku said. "It's best if we don't go to war, though. We've come so far since the last one. Who knows how much another one would affect us."

"Captain Kurotsuchi is working with Urahara Kisuke to make sure the kingdom is protected, should we need it. We'll be ready for anything Aizen might be planning."

"How odd… Those two can barely get along for five seconds… I'd love to see them arguing or annoying each other" the woman giggled. "But it's wonderful that we'll be able to keep this place safe!"

"That's right. Oh, and one more thing. It's not really of much influence on us..."

"Hm? What's that, Captain?"

"Inoue Orihime is going to be sent to the High Palace to stay with the King for a while. She'll be under the protection of him and his High Court until this mess is sorted out."

Rangiku was surprised to hear that. "Really?!"

"Yeah. We don't want to run the risk of Aizen getting his hands on her power. Who knows what he would do with it…"

"How… how unfair! I want to go to the High Palace!" the honey-blonde woman pouted.

"Well, for you it's unfair. For her, it's like a detainment. She'll be taken away from her home, her friends, her job, everything. And the last time she saw Kurosaki was when he had been taken, right? Imagine how she's going to feel."

"Oh… hmm… I guess you're right…" Rangiku muttered. "Poor thing. I hope she'll be okay. And I hope the trip goes well for her."

"She'll be fine. We're going to have her escorted by Captain Soi-Fon to make sure she gets there as quickly and safely as possible. I think Soi-Fon should be back later this evening, so that's probably when they'll leave."

With a sigh of relief, Rangiku walked over and sat on a cushion near the window. "I'm glad things are looking up. We won't have to go to war, Inoue will be safe, and Ichigo will be home soon." She said, giving a warm smile to the kingdom.

"Me too, Matsumoto. Me too."

* * *

"Renji?" Rukia spoke, sitting up in her hospital bed.

"Just came to see how you were doing." The redhead smiled as he entered the girl's room.

"I'm fine…"

Taking a seat in the chair next to Rukia's bed, Renji folded his arms over his bandaged abdomen and sighed. "That's a relief."

"How're you doing?"

"Just a few fractured bones here and there. Lieutenant Isane said I'll be back to my old self in no time."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that." The girl said with a sincere smile.

Renji closed his eyes before he moved on to the more pressing matter. "Ichigo… I heard he was kidnapped again."

With a look of discontent, Rukia glanced down at the sheets over her lap. All she could think about was how hard Ichigo had been pushing himself. He'd been training almost nonstop for the past month to be able to protect everyone, but that amounted to practically nothing when it came down to it. "I couldn't save him. That man… that Espada… He's too strong for us…" she said glumly.

"Rukia."

"Yeah?"

"You did your best, I know. But Ichigo is a big boy. He'll be okay. After all, he's the only one of us who can go toe-to-toe with an Espada."

"Renji, Ichigo's been trying so hard to protect us all… But in the end, he-"

"Everyone is alive, right?" Renji interrupted. "We managed to take down our opponents, and he protected Inoue. Isn't that what really matters?"

"… I guess you're right."

"If you're worried about him being kidnapped, don't be. The Head Captain's not just going to let one of his own be taken away like that. Ichigo will return. I promise."

Rukia did not respond. She simply looked Renji over. Glad to see that familiar, confidently stupid smile on his face again, she felt a bit relieved.

"You want something to eat?" Renji asked, changing the subject again.

"I'm fine. I actually ate about an hour ago." Rukia said.

She looked past Renji when a she heard footsteps coming down the hall.

It was Inoue.

She stopped at the doorway and held her hands behind her back like she sometimes did when she was nervous.

"Inoue?" Renji spoke, after turning to see who their visitor was.

"May I come in?"

"Sure." Rukia responded.

The large-breasted girl stepped into the room and smiled sweetly. "I'm glad to see you're both okay."

"The same to you." The violet-eyed girl said, returning that smile.

"Inoue, what are you doing here?" Renji asked.

"Um… well… I-I want to say goodbye."

"What? Where are you going?" Rukia asked, both surprised and confused at the same time.

"I'm going to be taken to the High Palace for a while. I was just told by Matsumoto-san. …I know it's asking a bit much, but… when you see Kurosaki-kun again… can you please tell him thank you for me? I know he tried so hard to save me…" the girl said, tearing up as she remembered witnessing Ichigo falling in front of Grimmjow. Giving a fake smile to hide her sorrow, she continued. "It's going to be fun, going to the palace! Tell him not to worry about me! I know he will!"

"Inoue…"

Renji remained silent, knowing this was tough for Inoue to deal with. He wasn't particularly good with situations like this, so he figured it'd be best not to say anything at all.

"Please take good care of yourselves! I have to go start packing… I'm leaving tonight. So this is goodbye." Inoue said. She gave a gentle wave of her hand, and then quickly left the room.

Renji looked at Rukia, who looked right back at him.

"I'll tell Ichigo when he comes back home." The raven-haired girl said.

* * *

Ichigo woke up to the feeling of being pushed.

He also felt a discomfort at his rear end, and something moist and warm pressed against his neck.

After slowly opening his eyes, he found himself in a dark room where the only light coming in was through a large doorway that led outside. This place seemed oddly familiar to him.

He tried sitting up, but stopped when he realized he was in the middle of being fucked.

Turning to look over his shoulder, he saw Grimmjow behind him with his face buried against the back of his neck.

"Ah!" he shouted when the man went too far inside of him.

Grimmjow looked up and was surprised to see Ichigo awake. "I'm almost done." He said to him.

Ichigo gripped the sheets in front of him and gritted his teeth to bear with this forced intercourse. When he did, he felt a sting come from his right arm.

Looking down, he could see that someone had neatly stitched the wound he'd received on his forearm.

To his surprise, a hand came from behind him and started stroking his almost completely erect penis. He was so shocked with Grimmjow's action that he didn't object to it. All he could do in response was moan out in pleasure. "Ahh! Mmmm…!"

It made him feel strange, hearing himself make those noises, so he put his face down on the pillows to try concealing them.

The more Grimmjow fucked him, and the more his hand stroked, the closer he got to reaching his climax.

It was undeniably odd, waking up to being fucked, but there was no anger he could direct at the man behind him simply because he was trying to help him reach his climax by jacking him off.

And it worked. With a satisfied moan into the pillows, he came all over Grimmjow's hand.

He knew Grimmjow reached his as well because he moaned out stridently right after he did.

Ichigo panted against the pillows and was thankful when he felt Grimmjow pull out of him. The feeling of having sex with him was still a strange and slightly uncomfortable one, after all. To make matters worse, Grimmjow's warm semen was now inside of him.

"Get up, Court Guard."

Turning over, Ichigo saw Grimmjow standing beside the bed and waiting for him to come over to him.

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

"… I can't… My energy is gone… and my ass aches… a lot."

"Tch!"

Impatiently, Grimmjow walked around the bed and picked the boy up in his arms. He then proceeded to take him into the bathroom, where he put him down into the tub full of hot water, careful to keep his injured arm suspended above the water.

Ichigo felt awkward, having Grimmjow holding his arm in the air, so he pulled it out of the man's grasp and rested it on the floor beside the tub where the water couldn't reach it. When Grimmjow left the bathroom, he blushed as he watched his ass move while he walked.

After he had gone, Ichigo admitted that something about the man's behavior was a little… off…

Looking up through the glass ceiling, he saw that it was nighttime. The moon was high in the sky and there were a multitude of stars twinkling around it. It was much easier to see them here than it was in Seireitei, the bright city lights blocking most of them out and all.

At hearing footsteps coming back into the bathroom, he turned.

It was Grimmjow. He was carrying a short, cylindrical bottle in his hand.

"What's that?" he asked him.

Grimmjow ignored the question completely. He put the bottle down on the floor next to Ichigo's arm, and then got into the tub with him.

Ichigo moved back when the man got close, slightly afraid of what he was going to do.

He grimaced when Grimmjow took his arm into his hand and started looking at it closely.

"Does this hurt?"

"… W-WHAT? WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!" the boy asked, afraid he was hearing things.

"I asked you if this hurts." Grimmjow responded, now looking him in the eyes.

"I… yeah… it does kinda hurt…" Ichigo said. His raised his eyebrows in surprise when the wound started bleeding through the stitches. "Shit…" he cursed, trying to pull his arm free.

"Stop that." Grimmjow said irritably, holding his arm firmly in place.

"But-"

Ichigo stopped himself from saying anything more when Grimmjow pulled his arm close and started licking his wound tenderly, careful not to get his tongue caught on the spots where the stitches stuck out.

It was strange; definitely something he'd never seen a human do before. This kind of behavior… was similar to an animal's...

But it felt oddly nice; both physically and emotionally because Grimmjow was showing signs of… care for _another_ person.

With a faint blush on his cheeks, he looked away as the man continued to lick his arm with his warm and wet tongue.

"You… should stop that… It's not a good idea to lick a cut like that…" he said nervously.

Grimmjow stopped licking and gently put the boy's arm on the floor beside the tub.

When he felt something warm running along his stitches, Ichigo turned back. Grimmjow had opened the bottle of whatever it was he'd brought, and was now rubbing it on his wound with his fingers.

"Wh-what is that?" he asked.

The bluenette stopped what he was doing and turned to him. "It's an ointment, you fool."

"I know that! I guess… what I meant to say was-"

"You're being annoying. Shut up and let me finish doing this."

A bit irritated, and very confused, Ichigo pulled his arm away from Grimmjow and held it protectively. "What the hell happened to you?! Why are you being so nice and caring all of a sudden?!"

His questions earned him no response.

"What did you do to Shinji back in Seireitei?! At least answer me that." the boy continued.

"Why? He's not important."

"Tell me what you did to him! He's an ally of mine, and he helped me out when I needed it... If you killed him-"

"I didn't kill him. If you must know, I used a Caja Negación to seal him in another dimension."

"W-WHAT?!"

"It's a tool Aizen gave each of the Espada, which we use to punish our subordinates. That guy was admittedly strong though, on par with the Espada, so he should be able to break out of it and get back to this dimension soon."

"…"

"Stop worrying about every little thing. You're such a nuisance…" Grimmjow continued.

"Rgh! Then why did you bring me back here?! If I'm such a nuisance, why go out of your way to get me?! Do you even realize what your actions could lead to?!"

"… I don't really care."

"That's… so selfish of you…!"

When he got no response, Ichigo turned away from Grimmjow and fumed. He was so angry about all he had done… It was all in such blatant disregard to everything and everyone!

Looking down, he slowly lost that train of thought when he remembered how Grimmjow had just helped him.

And that made him remember that there was still a question to be answered.

Turning back to face him, he saw that Grimmjow was now swimming around under the water on the opposite side of the tub, where the water was deeper.

Without a word, he got out of the tub and dried off. He'd just ask again when it couldn't be avoided.

After stepping into a pair of loose pants and pulling a t-shirt over his head, he walked out of the bathroom. He stopped as soon as h entered the large bedroom though, because he felt a pair of eyes on him. Looking up to the terrace to his left, he saw Pantera staring down at him from the top of the stairs.

Avoiding looking into the animal's piercing eyes for too long, he turned to his right. The moonlight was flooding into the room from the courtyard.

With a barely noticeable smile, he decided that's where he would go instead of going to the bed. He wasn't very tired, anyway.

…

After properly bathing himself, Grimmjow got out of the tub and walked out of the bathroom, drying his hair as he did. But he stopped when he saw that Ichigo wasn't in the bed.

His cerulean eyes looked around the room for him, and then they looked up to the terrace. Sure that he hadn't gone to sit in Pantera's company, he headed to the courtyard.

Ichigo stopped staring up at the stars when he felt Grimmjow's Reiatsu drawing near. He turned and faced him when the man came to a stop right up behind him.

"What do you want, Grimmjow? I can't imagine you're looking for sex again." He said, noting the man's nakedness.

"Shut your mouth."

"What are you doing out here?"

"These are my fucking quarters! I go wherever the hell I please!" Grimmjow said, face frowned up and flushed at the boy on the ground in front of him.

"Whatever…" Ichigo replied. He decided to ignore Grimmjow, so he turned back to look up at the night sky.

Convincing himself that what he was about to do was no big deal, Grimmjow pulled his towel from around his shoulders and wrapped it around his waist, then took a few steps over to a spot next to Ichigo and sat down on the concrete that was next to him.

To say Ichigo was surprised would be a bit of an understatement. His eyes were wide, his eyebrows high on his forehead, and his mouth was open like he was a fish out of water.

"Close your mouth. You look like an idiot." The cerulean-haired man commented.

"Shut up…!"

"I'm the one who should be saying that."

"You are insufferable."

Deciding he would ask since he had been curious, Grimmjow let his question come out. "… What was that power you used against me earlier today?"

"So I was only out for a few hours…?"

"Answer my question."

Ichigo stared at the man for a second, and then sighed. He lifted his hand and pointed at the sky. "That."

"What? What the fuck does that mean?" the bluenette asked with a confused look on his face.

"That look suits you, Grimmjow." Ichigo mocked.

"I'm going to fucking destroy you if you don't stop kidding around. Tell me exactly what that power was."

"It was… the power of an ancient race. The Skifenians." When Grimmjow did not respond, Ichigo continued. "I'm a half-breed of two of the ancient races. My father is an Earthian, and my mother was a Skifenian. So I just… called on the latent power inside me from my Skifenian lineage. It's a celestial ability, powered by the stars and the limitless energy in space... though it has its limits on me since I'm not a full-blooded Skifenian... Do you know anything about it?"

"I know a few things about the Skifenians." Grimmjow stated with a blank look on his face. "Let's just leave it at that."

"That's fine with me. I'm sure you couldn't have told me anymore about them than Shinji did, anyway."

With that, the two of them sat in silence for a while, looking up at the stars together. Things were nice and quiet until Grimmjow looked at the boy beside him and spoke again.

"Hey. Uh, does your wound feel any better? That ointment was given to me by some of the palace nurses. They said something about increasing the healing time… and cell regeneration..." he said awkwardly.

Ichigo's eyebrows knitted down as he remembered the man's recent strange behavior. "Grimmjow, what the hell is going on with you?" he asked, looking the other in the eye.

"What do you mean? What are you going on about?" said man asked in response.

"Why are you being so _nice_ and _considerate_ of me all of a sudden?!"

"…"

"First you jack me off, then you lick my wound, then treat it… _then_ you ask me how it's doing… Tell me what is going on with you."

Grimmjow turned and looked back up to the sky. Particularly, he looked at the myriad of stars twinkling in it. "My men… died for my satisfaction. That satisfaction is having you here where I can do with you as I please. I can't afford to let you die over something as insignificant as a stab wound… which was _my_ fault in the first place. If you die, then they would have died for nothing. They sacrificed themselves to help me get you back. So you now embody them… in a way of speaking."

"I could never embody people who disrupt the peace of a kingdom to see to the satisfaction of a destructive, psycho maniac…" the boy responded angrily as he remembered what had happened in Seireitei. He looked down at the grass around him to avoid Grimmjow's gaze.

"You can say whatever you want, but I'm not going to let you die so easily. Because… well… I just told you the reason!"

Snatching up a handful of grass with his left hand, Ichigo tossed it at Grimmjow. "There, those blades of grass just died for my satisfaction! I guess now you embody-"

Grimmjow angrily pounced on top of him, taking his injured arm into his hand and holding it up in the air. "Don't you _dare_ make light of my men's sacrifices!" he hissed.

Ichigo averted his eyes, feeling guilty for what he'd just done. "I-I'm sorry…"

It was then that he realized something.

"Grimmjow… you want me to stay alive, right?"

"Don't flatter yourself. It's not a want. …But… if I can help it, you won't die."

"So… if I… were to… do something like this…" the orange-haired boy began, moving up closer to the man.

"What are you…"

Stopping just in front of Grimmjow's lips, and feeling the gentle breezes as he breathed in and out, Ichigo stared him in his entrancingly blue eyes. Feeling his heart beating unnaturally fast, he closed his eyes and pressed his lips against the man's tenderly.

When he felt Grimmjow release his arm, he brought it down slowly so it wouldn't hit the ground and cause him pain. All he wanted to feel from this moment was the adrenaline from the danger it brought, the excitement in his pants, and the warmth of Grimmjow's lips against his own.

After opening his eyes, he could see that Grimmjow was not responding to his kiss at all. His cerulean eyes were open, and his furrowed eyebrows showed how displeased he was.

Pulling away, Ichigo kept looking at him through heavily lidded eyes. "Grimmjow…" he breathed out.

"What have I told you about doing that?" was said man's cold response.

"… That doesn't matter anymore. You're not going to kill me, and I know you won't hurt me. Not when you told me that I embody your fallen men. If you're going to force me into staying here, and force me into sex, then I'm going to force my affections onto you."

"You came here willingly, remember?"

"Is that your only response to what I just said? Are you not going to object to me kissing you?"

"No, because you're not stupid enough to do it agai-"

Ichigo interrupted Grimmjow by kissing him a second time. Wrapping his arms around the man's neck and closing his brown eyes, he pulled him down onto the grass on top of him. He wanted to know all he could about Grimmjow's mouth. He wanted to taste it. No, he _needed_ to taste it. In order to memorize the taste that no one else before him probably had the chance to.

Sticking out his tongue, he pressed it up against the dry, yet soft, lips that belonged to this enemy of his who had alienated himself from all forms of human emotion besides anger.

He was unsuccessful. Unsuccessful until Grimmjow's lips parted the tiniest bit, allowing him to journey past them. Once that one was cleared, another obstacle made itself known. The rows of pearly white teeth the man had served as a solid, impenetrable wall, preventing the boy from advancing any further.

He knew exactly what to do to bypass them, though.

Reaching down with his left hand, he grabbed hold of Grimmjow's privates through his towel and squeezed them.

It was perfect. Grimmjow's mouth snapped opened like a bear trap. And Ichigo took his chance to enter.

He explored as much of it as possible, as he would Earthia if given the chance…

Savoring every bit of the moment, he finally decided to push his tongue against Grimmjow's, who forcefully pushed back.

When a hand came down and tightly grabbed his arm, Ichigo stopped kissing Grimmjow and pulled away from him altogether. Thankfully he hadn't used his injured arm to grope the larger man…

"I told you to stop doing that. Don't make me repeat myself." Grimmjow said, and then sat up.

Ichigo sat up too, his lips swollen from kissing the other man. "… Why did you take so long to stop me?" he asked.

"Don't read into that too much. I wanted to see just how far you'd go to slip your tongue in my mouth. The way you treat me, I'm surprised you didn't come back here on your own terms!"

"… I don't like being held against my will by a maniac. I only came here with you to save my kingdom, and to protect my friends."

"Don't give me that pathetic lie!"

"It's not a lie. I will admit… I… I did… miss you… while we were apart… but not too much because of how totally insane you are!"

"What a little bitch you are…" Grimmjow said, before standing up and heading back inside.

"I know you missed me, too! Otherwise, you would have just killed me back in Seireitei! You had the perfect chance to, but you didn't take it! You took me instead so you could bring me back here!"

Halting his advance, the cerulean-haired man turned around and looked at Ichigo. He started to say something in retort, but decided against it. This kid obviously liked arguing. Why give him the satisfaction?

"Grimmjow… Stop isolating yourself from everyone! I know you have emotions in there somewhere. You're human, aren't you…?" Ichigo asked as he stood up.

"I'm a warrior. The only thing I feel passionate about is conquering my enemies, destroying useless shit and causing havoc, and taking the crown from Aizen. Everything else is just a waste of my time." The man answered. He turned, and then entered his room without another word.

Ichigo stood in place. He now knew that he was brought into Grimmjow's life for a reason: to help him change.

With earnest intentions towards the man, he smiled determinedly. "… I'm… I'm going to crack that shell of yours open someday, Grimmjow. You'll see." He said, knowing full well the man could no longer hear him.

But that didn't matter. He was confident. After all, Grimmjow brought him back here when he could have just killed him. That was proof that there was already a tiny crack on his haughty wall of isolation.

**Yay for emotional attachment! haha**

**Next chapter... be prepared for some serious shit.**


	16. a question of love

a question of love

Early the next morning, Grimmjow scowled as he walked down the halls of Los Noches palace, heading to Aizen's throne room where he had been summoned by Tousen to a meeting about something. At first, he was not actually going to respond to the prick's call, but somehow, he got Aizen to sit in on it. There was no option if Aizen would be there. He had to go.

As he walked out into a breezeway, he looked up at the sky to his left. The sun was out now, the time about ten o'clock judging from its position.

Thinking about his little captive, his scowl quickly turned into a grin. Hopefully this meeting wouldn't last too long. He wanted to get back to his quarters so he could continue to have fun with the Court Guard.

Opening the door to the main hall of Los Noches, he stepped inside and continued on his way to the throne room, wondering what it was that Tousen wanted with him. _"Can't be anything good, knowing that sadistic asshole…"_

When he arrived in the large room, brightly lit by a number of chandeliers, he saw Aizen sitting up on the throne, and Tousen standing on the ground level.

"Good morning, Grimmjow." Aizen said coolly as he looked down on him.

"Yeah." He responded, and then stuffed his hands into his pockets. The meeting hadn't even started yet and he was ready for it to be over.

"Kaname said that I should attend this meeting. I am very curious to see what it is he wants to discuss with you." The man continued.

"What do you want, Tousen?" Grimmjow asked, looking said man in the face.

"Well, there is only one thing I want to address in this meeting. And I wanted Aizen-sama here so he could make sure you came. Not to mention I'd like him to assure me that my actions today do not cross any lines."

Aizen raised an eyebrow curiously, and Grimmjow's eyebrows knitted down.

Taking this opportunity to clear up their confused vibe he could feel rising in the room, Tousen continued. "In the past few days, no, in the past month, Grimmjow's actions have caused such an uproar between our desert kingdom of Los Noches and Seireitei kingdom. He is the reason we are no longer in contact with Seireitei, which will cause our kingdom's people to fall on harder times than they were already facing. I think he deserves a punishment, and I would like to be the one to administer that punishment."

"Kaname, what did I discuss with you about interfering with the actions of the Espada?" Aizen asked.

"I have not forgotten what you said to me, Aizen-sama. However, he is no longer an Espada, and I am not actually interfering with his actions. I simply want to punish him for what he's done."

"You bastard! This is none of your fucking business-"

"FIVE MEN are lost to Los Noches kingdom! Five! Each one of them was under your command! You've deemed yourself incapable of being in command of a squadron, and you also broke the treaty we forged with Seireitei to satisfy your own desires! You should not even be alive, you abominable heathen…" Tousen turned from Grimmjow and looked up to Aizen. "Aizen-sama, let me be the one to end this demon's life. His actions have proved he does not deserve to live. And he is no longer ranking among the Espada."

Aizen sighed. "I cannot allow you to destroy Grimmjow, Kaname. I still need him alive at this point to see my plans come to fruition."

"Then allow me to administer a fitting punishment. Please sir." Tousen pleaded.

Knowing of Tousen's often times cruel nature when it came to his sense of justice, and curious as to what he would do to punish Grimmjow that would leave him alive, Aizen nodded his head once.

Grimmjow's cerulean eyes went wide when he saw him do it. It felt like… betrayal to him.

When he saw Tousen make to draw his sword from his peripheral, he turned to him. The moment he did, he felt a quick, sharp pain at his left arm.

Looking down, he saw that most of it had been cut off and was now lying on the ground beside him in a pool of blood.

His heart started beating unnaturally fast and his breathing became irregular because he didn't know what to do. Seeing his arm on the ground like that, and knowing it was Tousen who had done it… All the blood dripping from where his arm had been removed…

"You- YOU FUCKING BASTAAAARD!" he shouted, bringing his right hand to hold what was left of his arm.

Tousen, standing back where he'd originally been, shook his head. "The next punishment will not be so merciful. Hado 31, Shakkaho." He said.

Grimmjow looked to the floor again and saw his arm burst into pink and red flames. It turned to ashes after about ten seconds, and blew away when a gust of wind came in from one of the open windows in the room.

"Oh my." Aizen said.

"Your power has now been significantly decreased." Tousen spoke, putting his sword back into its sheathe.

Now seeing red, Grimmjow had to start breathing through his mouth from how heated he was. This bastard that he'd _always_ hated was… looking down on him… taunting him… had injured him... thought he was so much better than he was…

"You damned asshole…! You'd do anything to see me writhing in pain! This was just an excuse!" he shouted.

"It's not an excuse. You've been punished because you are the only rebellious one who would jeopardize Aizen-sama's plans. If you continue to be a problem, I will continue to dismember you at his approval." The dark-skinned man responded.

"YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!" Livid with rage, Grimmjow made to draw his sword.

The moment his hand touched the hilt of it, the room grew heavy with Reiatsu. Turning, he looked up and saw Aizen wearing a look of disapproval on his face.

"Grimmjow, I've saved you at least twice now only because you are important to my plans. But if you draw your sword, I will have no choice but to eliminate you on the spot. You are not the only person I need to keep alive in order to fulfill my ambitions." The brunette man stated calmly.

Knuckles white from how hard he was gripping his sword, Grimmjow felt himself growing more and more enraged with Tousen… and Aizen. How much he wanted to end both their pathetic lives here and now…

Realizing his situation, primarily his weakened state, he gnashed his teeth, but released his weapon. There was no way he could take them both on at once.

Turning around, he started on his way back to his quarters.

"Know your place, you heathen." Tousen called out tauntingly.

"Tch! You know, your head would be rolling at my feet right now if it weren't for Aizen. You aren't even on my radar." Grimmjow responded, and then left the room.

With gritted teeth, Tousen made to draw his sword. As soon as he did, he felt a mass of Reiatsu on him. He turned in Aizen's direction in surprise.

"Kaname, I thought I told you not to interfere with the Espada."

"Aizen-sama… He will bring about a war between our kingdoms if he is not controlled! Besides, he is no longer among the Espada ranks!"

"Even so, I need him alive for my ambitions to be achieved. He is not to be killed until I give that order. If you make an attempt on his life, I will be forced to stop you. Do not disobey my orders."

"Understood, sir." Tousen responded. He stood up straight, bowed apologetically, and then left the room through the doorway opposite of the one Grimmjow had gone through.

Sighing, Aizen stood up from his throne. It's a good thing he hadn't told anyone about Yamamoto wanting Grimmjow to be executed. Tousen would have eagerly jumped at the chance to carry out that order.

But he needed things to progress further on Grimmjow's end. He couldn't let him die just yet…

Yamamoto's order was an unexpected obstacle that needed to be overcome.

Running his hand over his soft head of hair, Aizen turned and walked behind his throne then entered the hallway that would lead him to his laboratory.

"You're quite mean for pitting them against each other. I think you enjoy it."

Turning, he saw Gin come out from behind one of the pillars. "Gin." He said.

"You and Tousen are bullies. Poor Grimmjow. He must have felt so helpless." the silver-haired man said amusedly.

"You think so?"

"I do. Why do you insist on keeping him around, anyway? He's proven to be nothing but problematic. Isn't that counteractive with your motives?"

Aizen shook his head. "I keep him around _because_ he is the problematic one. He's the only one to have obtained an important factor I need to complete my plans."

"Oh! And what would that be?" Gin asked, his frost-blue eyes opening in surprise.

"Gin, I'll be leaving the kingdom tonight. I've lounged around the palace for a little longer than I needed to. It's about time to set my plan into action now that all my research notes have been organized."

"Where are you going?"

"To the forested temple and then the desert ruins, of course."

"We'll take care of the palace until you return."

"When I return, I will rule the land." The man said, and then continued to his laboratory.

* * *

Sitting out in the courtyard and basking in the sun's warm glow, Ichigo had been contemplating his situation. Ultimately, he knew he would have to return to Seireitei. Yamamoto wouldn't just sit back and let one of his own be taken captive. It was only a matter of time before something happened, which would most likely be someone coming after him.

"I wonder if my actions will lead to war…" he said quietly, hoping against it.

When he heard a scream inside Grimmjow's quarters and things starting to break, he stood up and ran inside.

"Grimmjow!" he said in surprise when he saw the man come back from wherever it was he'd gone this morning.

It took him a second, but when he looked on the floor, he saw a pool of blood beside him. There was also a trail of it that followed him from the doors, which were sealed again of course. Looking closer when Grimmjow turned and started punching holes in the wall, he saw the cause of all the blood.

His left arm was missing.

Though he was shocked, he didn't really know how to respond to what he was seeing. So he didn't. Obviously, Grimmjow was not in the mood to be bothered. He was probably less likely to answer questions about what happened to his arm, considering that was probably the reason he was so furious.

He stood in place for a moment, just watching the man destroy everything in the room. When Pantera came in and stood at the top of the stairs leading to the terrace, he knew he had to do _something_.

"RRRRAAAAAAAAGH!" Grimmjow shouted, and punched another hole in his wall. Even though they were solid stone, he didn't care. He didn't care that his knuckles were bleeding. He didn't care about anything anymore!

Ichigo's eyes went wide when he saw Grimmjow turn to him. His heart started beating fast when he began walking over to him as he wondered what he would do in this enraged state of his.

"Grimmjow…" he said when the man got close.

"You…" said man breathed out.

"Grimm-GRIMMJOW!" Ichigo shouted.

Grimmjow had fallen to his knees, and was now holding what was left of his arm as it bled.

Ichigo fell to his knees as well, and reached out to touch him.

"Don't fucking touch me!" Grimmjow snarled. As soon as he did, he grunted in pain and fell forward onto the smaller man.

"Grimmjow! I'll help you!" Ichigo said soothingly, wrapping his arms around him to pull him closer.

Pantera hurried down the stairs and over to where his master was, then looked up at the orange-haired boy who was holding him protectively.

"I'll take care of him, I promise. I won't let him die." Ichigo assured.

Looking down, he realized he had to act fast. Grimmjow had lost a lot of blood, which was causing him to lose that tan skin tone of his. It would all be over if he didn't stop the bleeding.

As Grimmjow panted heavily against his stomach, he gained the confidence he needed to save him.

As best he could, he dragged the larger man over to the bed and lifted him up onto it, with Pantera's help of course.

After ripping off the bottom of his own shirt, he used that cloth to tie it around the area above the wound. He knew he had to make sure it didn't get infected, so he ran into the bathroom and grabbed one of the decorative bowls from the counter and then hurried over to the sink where he filled it with warm water.

When he got back into the room, he put the bowl down on the floor and ripped Grimmjow's shirt off. Pulling the clean part away from the blood-stained part, he put the unsullied cloth in the water to soak it. Then he rung it out and moved over to the bed.

It was stressful and kind of frightening, looking at the remains of a dismembered arm… It was a clean cut that was for sure. He had a pretty decent understanding of the human body, particularly the tendons, ligaments, muscles, and bones located in the arm. With that knowledge, it was hard to think of anything besides how painful this seemed… This was definitely very different, being out in the field and actually dealing with dismemberment, than it was simply reading about it in a textbook.

But he wouldn't falter now. He had to save Grimmjow. He didn't know why, but he just had to!

Pantera watched as the boy carefully cleaned what was left of Grimmjow's arm with the wet cloth. When he heard his master cry out in pain, he looked at the boy angrily and growled.

"It's okay! I need to clean this wound, and it's not going to feel so great for him. But if I don't do anything, he'll die!" the boy called from over his shoulder at hearing the panther express his dislike for his making Grimmjow uncomfortable.

Ichigo soon realized he couldn't simply bandage this wound. It would be too painful to remove the bandage if it healed attached to it.

That's when he looked down at his own arm.

"The ointment!" he shouted.

It had sealed his wound in a matter of minutes last night, which is what made it seem perfect for this situation.

Quickly, he got up and sprinted to the bathroom, where he had last seen the ointment, and looked around for it.

He found it on the counter and then ran back into the room with it. Coming up to Grimmjow's side again, he uncapped the bottle and scooped some of it out with his fingers. If it had helped his wound heal, then it would help Grimmjow's as well.

As he pressed it against the stub of Grimmjow's arm, he noticed it at least caused it to stop bleeding. "Cell regeneration, huh?" he said quietly, awestruck at how effective the medicine was in this place.

Around the wound he rubbed the ointment, running out just after he'd covered the entirety of it. To his relief, it had stopped bleeding altogether, and was now slowly healing.

Falling back onto his rear end, he sighed heavily.

"I did it!" he smiled as sweat dripped down his brow.

…

After about ten minutes of resting his nerves, Ichigo got up off the floor and checked on Grimmjow.

He was asleep now, thankfully.

Seeing him cry out the way he had… it was just… painful for him to recall…

As best he could, he bandaged the healing wound; he was fairly certain the ointment would prevent any pain when the bandage was removed. Noticing the blood on the man's swollen knuckles, Ichigo ripped off more of his own shirt and took Grimmjow's right hand into his own. He held onto it for a few seconds, then wrapped it up as well.

While looking over Grimmjow's shirtless form, he blushed and tried to pay attention to anything but his prominent muscles. And that was when he saw it again.

That strange hole.

Sitting down on the bed next to the man, he lifted his hand and held it over it.

"How could a person live with a hole in their body like this…? And where did it come from?"

When he felt something touch his thigh, he turned.

It was Pantera. He had put his paw on his leg and was staring at him.

With a deeper blush than before, Ichigo brought his hand away from Grimmjow's hole.

"Thank you for saving Grimmjow."

Brown eyes going wide, the boy stared at the beast in front of him in disbelief. He had just… _TALKED_ TO HIM! "I must be dreaming… Animals can't talk…" he said with a grin.

"This is no dream, human. You are wide awake."

"This is… this is not possible! How can I be speaking with _an animal_?!"

"It's quite possible."

"How… How can we be talking? Who are you?" Ichigo asked, getting closer to the panther.

"I am Grimmjow's spirit animal. We are speaking telepathically because you, for some strange reason, have Grimmjow's Reiatsu emanating inside you. Since that is the case, I figured I would try to speak with you. I am glad it worked. Again, thank you for saving Grimmjow."

"Spirit animal…?"

"Yes. He saved me as a cub, and we found out we could communicate with each other. He did not originally want to bring me along with him, but he did when I told him I would get stronger. Instead of abandoning me, he found it in his heart to embrace me... so to speak. That act of selflessness, something you probably realize he isn't keen on, allowed me to help him in battle when he requests it."

"Why is his spirit animal a panther?"

"Because Grimmjow, in a past life, was a panther as well. All of the Espada's spirit animals are animals with which they were in a previous life."

"Then… what is Grimmjow? Why does he have a hole and skeletal mask on his body?" Ichigo asked, looking over to the man.

"I cannot answer that question. It is to be revealed to you when he is ready to tell you. But… I will tell you that you and he share a similar blood."

"Huh?! Wait! WE'RE RELATED?!"

"Hmm… Not in the means you understand as you are. What do humans call it…?" Pantera asked, closing his eyes to think of the word. "Family? Yes. You two are not family. You just share a similar, mixed blood."

"Then… Grimmjow is-"

"The full truth will be revealed to you in time. I only hope that it is Grimmjow who will be the one to tell you. It is a grim truth, after all..."

"Let me just ask-"

"No, human. It is my turn to ask you a question." Pantera interrupted, more serious than he had been before. "I've answered enough of yours. I probably told you more than Grimmjow wanted you to know…"

Ichigo jumped at the suddenness of this forceful nature, but nodded in response. "Okay." He said.

The room grew quiet. Pantera looked at Grimmjow's sleeping form, and then turned back to look Ichigo in the eyes. "Do you love Grimmjow?"

******The story is really about to start picking up, thankfully. I at least hope you all are getting more and more into it.**

**Make sure to submit a review if you can!**


	17. heartfelt and heartless

**A bit off-topic. I started watching Attack on Titan on a friend's recommendation. Sweet mother... That is a brutal, gruesome, and amazing show. If you have the time, and the bravery/stomach, give it a peek. It's on crunchyroll or animefreak (as Shingeki no Kyojin).**

**Okay, back on-topic! Here's the next chapter! I hope you enjoy it!**

heartfelt and heartless

Comfortably seated out in the courtyard of Grimmjow's quarters, Ichigo watched the townspeople go about their business… as he usually did.

An entire day had passed since Grimmjow lost his arm, and the man had been asleep ever since Ichigo started treating him.

The time was about noon-ish. The boy could tell from the amount of people exiting businesses and going into restaurants. There were also the carpenters who had stopped working and were now eating lunches in small groups near the construction sites.

After a while, he got a bit bored watching people eating.

When he saw a man pull a rose from behind his back and give it to a woman in the street, he got much more interested and watched attentively to see her response. Even from his distance from them, it seemed like the man was nervous. This woman was probably someone he'd been pursuing for a while and finally mustered up the courage needed to tell her how he felt.

He leaned forward, full of anticipation. His brown eyes widened when the woman threw the rose to the ground and jumped onto the man, wrapping her arms around his neck affectionately.

"….."

It made him think about Grimmjow, strangely enough. From something like that, he imagined it'd be Inoue or Nelliel that would come into his mind. But no. It was Grimmjow he was thinking about now.

Frowning, he remembered his speechlessness at Pantera's question.

_"Do I love Grimmjow...?"_

Sure, he thought Grimmjow was attractive, but that didn't mean he _loved_ him.

Though, that wasn't what he told Pantera.

When asked, he was shocked at first. The whole situation was strange, talking to an animal, but being asked something like that made it so much stranger. What scared him though was his inability to give an answer of yes or no.

"_I couldn't possibly… love Grimmjow… That's insane."_ He thought, unsure of his feelings.

Disrupted from his thoughts by noises in Grimmjow's room, he turned around and got up off of the grass. He went inside and stopped when he saw Grimmjow holding on to that ivory sword of his.

"Grimmjow! Are you okay?" he asked.

Turning, Grimmjow squinted at Ichigo. "I'm not a fucking baby!" he responded, looking down at his bandages disapprovingly.

"I… I did the best I could to clean your wounds. I was-"

"Nobody asked for your help." Grimmjow interrupted, walking over to his smashed closet and taking a jacket from it.

"Worried." Ichigo finished, glaring at the ungrateful man as he pulled the jacket over his head.

Pantera came in from the terrace and watched Grimmjow as he rolled up one of his sleeves.

Getting to the other sleeve, Grimmjow grew angry at the fact that he couldn't do the same to it thanks to Tousen. Lifting his right arm, he put the sleeve in his mouth between his teeth and ripped it off, very close to the seams.

Walking over to Grimmjow, Ichigo put his hand on the man's stubbed arm in a comforting manner. "It must have been hard… I'm sorry this happened to you. Are you okay?" he said.

"Get off my dick, Court Guard. I don't need your sympathy."

Ignoring the man's curt words, Ichigo continued talking. "What are you doing with your sword? Where are you going?"

"Hunting for something to kill, now leave me alone!"

"…Grimmjow! Stop pushing me away! I'm only trying to help you!"

"I was strong before you came, and I'm still strong! I don't need you coddling me like a fucking baby!"

"I'm not, I'm just worried-"

"Don't be! I'm nothing to you! Always have been, and always will be! No get outta my fucking face with your bull!"

Grimmjow didn't mean to lash out on him the way he did. But the kid was asking for it by trying to help him when what he wanted was to prove he was still just as capable as he'd always been even without his left arm.

He would show the Court Guard. He would show Tousen how wrong he was to not kill him. And he would show Aizen that he was far from weak.

Gripping the sheathed weapon in his hand, he walked to the door and unsealed it. When Pantera made to come with him, he told him to stay behind. It wasn't like he would go into his Resurrección state to fight a bunch of mindless animals.

Ichigo watched as Grimmjow exited the room and sealed the doors behind him. Sure, he was upset with him for talking to him the way he had, but… he was still worried about him. Ever since he returned to Los Noches with him, Grimmjow had been so much more different. So much more considerate. Now it seemed like he was reverting to the way he was when they'd first met, and he didn't want that to happen.

"Human, I don't think you should judge Grimmjow for his harsh words. He's very emotional over the loss of his arm… and the loss of some of his power."

"Power?" Ichigo echoed, turning to the panther approaching him.

"Well, yes. I'd say that now… you and he would be evenly matched if you fought."

"No way! That… that can't be! I've dealt with Grimmjow and almost defeated him before!"

"I don't understand how that could be. The way you are now, your Reiatsu would be unable to best his. I doubt it would be once it returned to the state it was in when you first arrived, either."

Ichigo stopped talking. It occurred to him that he only almost beat Grimmjow when he used that Skifenian power. Not to mention, Grimmjow had this spirit animal of his that he'd never seen him use before.

"_Could Grimmjow really have killed me any time he wanted…?"_ he thought.

If that was true… then that meant-

"Grimmjow must have gotten a ways away from the kingdom by now. I'm going to watch him to make sure he doesn't do anything foolish."

"I'm coming with you!" Ichigo insisted.

The two of them rushed out to the courtyard and were surprised to see that Grimmjow was already fighting with a large scorpion out in the desert. He was doing fairly well against it, too.

"I guess… I was worried about him for nothing." The boy commented as he watched his man take down his opponent by running underneath it and slicing through it with his sword as he did.

Standing with his front paws on the stone railing, Pantera kept a serious look on his face. "You may be at ease, but that's because you don't know much about this kingdom. It's not the animals I fear." He said, his piercing blue eyes not leaving his master for a second.

"From the looks of it, I don't see any other threats. I think Grimmjow is going to be-"

Ichigo's sentence was cut short when he saw a horde of large scorpions emerge from the sand, followed by an even bigger scarred one with four tails.

Both he and Pantera watched, completely speechless, as Grimmjow was surrounded by them.

"Fight Grimmjow!" Ichigo hollered, realizing he needed to say something encouraging.

"He can't hear you from this distance. Plus, that barrier regulates loud noises. The only time we hear things in here is when they're high in volume… but even then, they're severely de-pitched. We'd really only be hearing a fraction of it." Pantera commented.

The closer the scorpions got to Grimmjow, the more anxious Ichigo felt himself getting. It was because Grimmjow was not moving at all. He was just standing there like a rock.

When he saw him lift his sword up to the height of his torso and put his hand on it, he was curious about what that would do.

Suddenly, a large explosion of energy whipped about, creating a sandstorm around Grimmjow and the scorpions.

Ichigo couldn't see through it, and it made him start sweating from the fear not being able to see Grimmjow caused.

He was so focused on the rising sand that he nearly jumped out of his skin when a scorpion came flying out of it and skidded through the sand. To his surprise, it did not get up once it came to a stop.

Looking back to the sandstorm, that was now calming, his eyebrows knitted down when he saw four more fly out in four different directions.

"He… he won!" the boy said happily.

"No, there's still one more." Pantera informed, his expression not changing.

The sandstorm calmed, and Ichigo stepped back when he got a look at Grimmjow.

On him, there was a gray, armor-like covering. His legs were no longer shaped like a human's. Instead, they were similar to an animal's; particularly, a panther's hind legs. He could also see that Grimmjow had a long mane of hair flowing down his back. And from their distance, he also saw that his ears also stuck out and were covered in dark teal fur.

"What... is that…?" he asked aloud, not even realizing he'd done so.

"That is Grimmjow's Resurrección state."

"What's that?"

"A form in which he unleashes all of his power. All of the Espada can do it, but the top four are restricted from doing so inside the kingdom. The power of that form is cataclysmic."

"Why would he use something like that against mere scorpions?"

"Because that particular scorpion standing in front of him is the king of all scorpions." Pantera answered.

"What?! What provoked him to come out to fight Grimmjow!?" Ichigo asked, turning to the panther beside him confusedly.

"The answer is obvious. Grimmjow called him out."

"Wha- Why…?"

"Because he wants to prove his power. That particular scorpion would take at least two or three of the lower ranking Espada to defeat it. Grimmjow, while no longer among the Espada ranks, still maintains the skills and power of one. Especially compared to the other Arrancar. He must think defeating it will show everyone that he's still as strong as he always was before they can even find out his power has been decreased."

Ichigo turned back to the desert and was surprised to see that Grimmjow was not on offense this time around. He was doing nothing but defending against the creature. It seemed all he could do to not be struck down by it.

Four tails to worry about, plus two pincers, and six legs… so many appendages were being thrown his way… It was only a matter of time before he slipped up and was struck by one.

"Grimmjow…" the boy said in a low voice. He quickly turned back to Pantera. "Can't you go and help him?! Aren't you supposed to be there for him in times like this?!" he exclaimed, voice full of emotion.

The panther, for the first time since they'd been outside, turned his attention away from Grimmjow to look up at Ichigo. "I cannot." He said calmly.

"Why not!?"

"Because he has not called for my help. I would only be in his way if I went down there without him calling for the boost in Reiatsu I can give him."

Ichigo gritted his teeth, grabbed the animal by the fur on his neck, and looked him in the eyes. "IT DOESN'T MATTER IF HE CALLS YOU OR NOT! HE NEEDS HELP! DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU TOLD HIM YOU'D GET STRONGER?! WHAT USE ARE YOU IF YOU ONLY WATCH HIM DIE?!" he shouted angrily, his voice echoing on the wind.

Pantera stared up at Ichigo in shock. He didn't realize this side of the human was buried underneath that cool façade of his. But more importantly, he was shocked at the boy's words.

What he said… was absolutely right!

He told Grimmjow he would get stronger after he'd been saved by him. He said he wouldn't let him down. But all this time of listening to Grimmjow's orders to stay behind is what made him do the exact opposite of what he promised to do.

As he stared up into the fiery eyes of this boy, he felt himself changing. Something was growing inside him… a burning sensation to save Grimmjow.

It was strange how this human could bring about such change in him and his master, just from coming into their lives. But even so, he was truly glad that he had.

"You're… absolutely right. I will go to his side, but first I must retrieve something since I cannot break Grimmjow's barrier…" He said.

Ichigo released his fur and watched as he hurried back into the room.

Turning back to where Grimmjow was, he watched as the man was knocked into the sky and then slammed into the sand. The force of it was enough to make him crash onto the ground a few times as he skidded away from the massive scorpion.

Ichigo felt his heart racing at the thought of his captor dying.

Out of the corner or his eye, he saw something coming. It made tracks in the sand the same way people who could a Flash Step or Sonído did, making him realize it was a person. And they were charging straight at Grimmjow, who had just picked himself up out of the sand.

The world froze before him when he saw a double crescent-shaped blade fly out and slice through Grimmjow's armor like it was a thin sheet of paper.

Blood flew into the air and all over the sand, causing Ichigo's vision to go hazy and the world to shake around him. As Grimmjow fell to his knees, he could see his mouth open wide, and he realized he was crying out in agony.

The scream echoed across the sky and through the kingdom, then reached Ichigo's ears through the barrier. And it was as loud as the sun was bright.

"GRIIIMMJOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!" he screamed, jumping up onto the railing.

When he heard something metallic hit the ground behind him, the boy turned around.

Pantera was back, and he had brought Zangetsu with him.

Without hesitating, he jumped back to the ground and picked up his blade. There was no time for questions. No time to think.

Grimmjow was about to be killed, and he wouldn't allow it to happen!

Running back to the entrance to the courtyard, he turned around and kept his eyes on Grimmjow. Jumping up on the wall beside the threshold, he lifted his sword out in front of him, braced it with both hands, and used what little Reiatsu he had left to Flash Step across the courtyard, destroying the wall in the process.

Multiple bolts of lightning shot out as his sword collided with Aizen's forcefield, shocking him relentlessly.

"I WON'T LET HIM DIE LIKE THIS!" he shouted through the throbbing pain. "RRRAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Pantera watched in awe as the forcefield was shattered and the Court Guard sailed across the kingdom, causing the earth to quake in his wake.

When he saw the forcefield start to reform, he realized he needed to go as well. Jumping through the narrowing opening, he fell to the city below, the wind pressure from the drop almost too much to counter. Instinctively using one of the sides of a building to break his fall, he landed on the ground unscathed, and then started running towards the kingdom gates.

"_Me too, human! I will be there for Grimmjow too!"_ he thought as he ran through the crowds of people.

* * *

"Aizen no longer needs you around, you brainless fucker!" Nnoitora shouted eagerly, and then flashed his long teeth at Grimmjow.

Lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood, Grimmjow clenched his fists, picking up sand in the process. He couldn't believe how things had turned out. First he was unable to defeat the sovereign scorpion, and now he was about to be killed. Picked off by another one of the shitheads who irritated him the most.

"You've outlived your usefulness. And you know what? Nobody's going to miss you once you're gone! All you ever were was an annoyance!" the raven-haired man continued, lifting his hefty sword.

He sent it flying in Grimmjow's direction, but a loud clang ensued instead.

"Huh?! Who the hell are you?!" he asked when he saw the person who had intercepted his attack.

Bracing his blade as best he could, Ichigo realized he should have just taken Grimmjow instead of trying to stop this guy's attack. His sword was incredibly heavy.

Snatching his weapon back by its long, black chain, Nnoitora started laughing hysterically.

"Hehahahahahaa! What the fuck is this, Grimmjow?! You need the help of some little bitch to save you?!" he shouted at the bluenette lying on the ground. Looking Ichigo in the eye, he smirked. "Where'd you come from? I've never seen you around before. You're wielding a sword, but you're not an Arrancar. Oh! I know now! You're Grimmjow's fuck toy from that shitty ass Seireitei kingdom, _aren't you_?!"

Ichigo scowled, but took a few steps backwards until he reached Grimmjow.

When Nnoitora thrust his sword into the sand, he lowered his as well.

"Grimmjow!" he said, getting down on his knees to check the damage the man had received.

"The fuck are you doing here!?" Grimmjow responded, coughing out blood after he did.

Ichigo ignored his question. His brown eyes were focused on the cut that went from Grimmjow's shoulder all the way down to his lower abdomen. It was bleeding, but not as profusely as he thought it would. He concluded it was probably due to his strange armor.

"_I can't fight this guy and save Grimmjow at the same time… and that scorpion is still there waiting to make a move… More of them could appear to fight, and I don't know that I'd be able to handle them with no more Reiatsu."_ he thought, trying to gather as much information on his situation as he could. _"Grimmjow… I won't let you die!"_

Realizing how hard it would be to deal with the man's wound, Ichigo decided he wouldn't. Instead, he would take Grimmjow and sneak him into Seireitei to have Inoue heal him. That was the best course of action, and it would also give Grimmjow his arm back.

He jumped when the man a few feet ahead of him picked his sword up out of the sand.

"Relax! I'm not about to kill either of you! I'm going to finish off that scorpion back there and show Grimmjow just how much better than him I am!" Nnoitora said. "But I won't let you take him away so you can save him, either. I want him to die watching me kill something he could never hope to! Bleeding to death and admitting his failure as a warrior! That is a fitting end for that bastard!"

Ichigo scowled at the man once again as he turned around and started running towards the towering scorpion with his strangely shaped sword on his shoulder.

"Get the fuck outta here!" he heard Grimmjow say.

Looking down at him, he furrowed his eyebrows. "No. I'm never going to abandon you. I won't let you die!" he said.

Grimmjow's cerulean eyes went wide when the boy put a hand under his neck and legs.

Ichigo did his best to pick Grimmjow up, noting how heavy he was. "Damn armor…!" he grunted when he finally stood up straight, and then started fast-walking away from the two enemies who had started fighting.

When a light brown-haired man appeared in front of him, he stopped abruptly and consequently dropped Grimmjow in the sand, regretfully watching him tense up in pain.

"Grimmjow!"

"Sorry kid, but Nnoitora-sama said that nuisance is to die in this desert. If he does not feel the need to do it, then I will complete the task myself. Thus, you realize I cannot allow you to take him." Tesla said. He drew his sword slowly, letting it glisten in the sunlight, and started walking towards them. "Please don't resent me for this, but I'm ending both of your paths here and now."


	18. nightmare's end

**A/N: It seems some of you are wondering about Ichigo's hollow counterpart. To put it simply, for as far as I have planned already, I don't really have him making an appearance in this story at all*sweatdrops*. I apologize if that may come as a disappointment for any of you.**

**Warning: This chapter is a bit more... gruesome than what I usually write, I guess. So I want to give a warning ahead of time for those of you who need it. Once you reach the end of it, let me know if I overdid it (or didn't push things enough).**

nightmare's end

"_Relax! I'm not about to kill either of you! I'm going to finish off that scorpion back there and show Grimmjow just how much better than him I am!" Nnoitra said. "But I won't let you take him away so you can save him, either. I want him to die watching me kill something he could never hope to! Bleeding to death and admitting his failure as a warrior! That is a fitting end for that bastard!"_

_Ichigo scowled at the man once again as he turned around and started running towards the towering scorpion with his strangely shaped sword on his shoulder._

"_Get the fuck outta here!" he heard Grimmjow say._

_Looking down at him, he furrowed his eyebrows. "No. I'm never going to abandon you. I won't let you die!" he said._

_Grimmjow's cerulean eyes went wide when the boy put a hand under his neck and legs._

_Ichigo did his best to pick Grimmjow up, noting how heavy he was. "Damn armor…!" he said when he finally stood up straight, and then started fast-walking away from the two enemies who had started fighting._

_When a light brown-haired man appeared in front of him, he stopped abruptly and consequently dropped Grimmjow in the sand, regretfully watching him tense up in pain._

"_Grimmjow!"_

"_Sorry kid, but Nnoitra-sama said that nuisance is to die in this desert. If he does not feel the need to do it, then I will complete the task myself. Thus, you realize I cannot allow you to take him." Tesla said. He drew his sword slowly, letting it glisten in the sunlight, and started walking towards them. "Please don't resent me for this, but I'm ending both of your paths here and now."_

…

Knocked from Grimmjow's side by a swift kick in the ribs from Tesla, Ichigo tumbled across a number of sand dunes, coming to a stop a good distance from his defenseless captor.

Panting heavily with his left cheek lying on top of the sand, the boy held both of his hands against side firmly, groaning in displeasure at the thought of a few of his ribs having possibly been broken when Tesla's foot connected with them. But he knew this was not the time to be worried about his own condition.

Through the pain still raging at his side, he got up on his elbow and saw that man standing like a statue over Grimmjow, who was unable to move, let alone defend himself.

"_Grimmjow!"_ he thought anxiously, his breathing heavy from the force of impact his torso had taken.

It was obvious he was ready to keel over at any second.

Tesla turned his cold gaze from Ichigo to stare down at the former Espada in front of him contemptuously. "I can't think of a better way to eradicate you than to make you suffer and then blast you to bits." He said, then bent down beside the man.

Ichigo's froze when he saw Tesla pull his sword out. His brown eyes widened when the man lifted it up and then stabbed it down deep inside Grimmjow's open wound.

Grimmjow's resulting blood curdling scream left him trembling all over.

"Now, now. Please keep it down. You're making too much of a fuss." Tesla said, harshly clasping his hand against Grimmjow's mouth to quell his screams.

He used his sword to slowly rip through the gaping wound Nnoitra had given him earlier a few times. His goal was to tear further into the exposed muscles just beneath the lesion, and he did just that, watching almost emotionlessly as a tear escaped one of his victim's tightly closed eyes.

"STOOOOOP!" he heard Ichigo shouting from where he had kicked him to.

"Don't fear. You'll be the next one I take care of, once I'm finished with this one." He replied calmly, not even bothering to look at the boy.

Ichigo bit his bottom lip and gripped Zangetsu tightly in his right hand. He realized he was shivering when he heard the chains at the hilt of his Zanpakutō start to rattle.

"Ichigo, you do not have any more Reiatsu. And I don't think you can use the Reiatsu from that Espada that is here within you. There is nothing you would be able to do against that man now." Zangetsu said with an almost regretful tone in his voice.

He could see the desperation and pain that witnessing Grimmjow being tortured caused the boy, and that in turn caused him pain as well.

"I don't care!" Ichigo shouted.

Picking himself up off the ground, he screamed out in rage when he saw Tesla move his hand down and then used it to start choking Grimmjow.

Unable to take any more of the man tormenting his former captor, he started running towards them. He had decided that his own safety was irrelevant. Saving Grimmjow was what mattered most to him now.

"_I'll do whatever it takes to stop you!" _he thought, fooling himself into believing he could in his current condition.

Before he got close, something large and gray came bolting out of nowhere, forcibly knocking Tesla away from Grimmjow.

"Pantera!" Ichigo exclaimed when he saw that it was him, running over to where he was at Grimmjow's side.

The panther did not respond. He instead dashed over to Tesla, jumped onto his back, and then started clawing away at him.

Ichigo used the opportunity and turned to Grimmjow, then fell to his knees beside him as he'd done after he'd saved him from Nnoitra's attack earlier.

"Grimmjow!" he shouted, bending forward and pressing his forehead against the man's armored, wounded stomach as though he was mourning over him.

Said man couched out a mouthful of blood before responding with a raspier voice than he usually had. "… I… thought I told you… to get… out of-"

"NO! I WON'T LEAVE YOU BEHIND!" Ichigo interrupted, his tone a wrathful one.

Finding the courage to lift his head from the man's stomach, he did so and looked Grimmjow over to check his condition. After seeing the blood and tears all over the other's face, he grimaced. Using one of his hands, he started wiping it clean. It helped him realize, from the warm feeling he received as his fingers ran along Grimmjow's face, that he, no matter what he was biologically, was also human beneath his white armor.

A large explosion to his left stopped him amidst his attempt to help the man.

Turning to face it, he was alarmed to see Pantera lying on the ground and trying to pick himself up to no avail. That man seemed to have vanished, and all that was left was a massive cloud of sand, which Ichigo assumed was where he was hiding. It was very similar to what had surrounded Grimmjow when he transformed.

When a large shadow started to appear as the smoke cleared, the boy's brown eyes went wide with fear.

"Oh no-"

Tearing through the rising clouds of sand and smoke, Tesla bolted to where his new targets were.

Ichigo was undeniably horrified to see that he had grown at least three times in size. That was all he could make out before he was knocked from Grimmjow's side once more by a powerful kick from the massive monster. This time, unlike the first time he'd been kicked, the attack left him numb and sent pulsations of pain through his entire body. In his head particularly, it felt like he was having a thousand headaches at once, accompanied by giant, ringing bells.

There was literally nothing he could do _but_ be sent flying across the sky and crashing into the sand a few yards away.

As Tesla stared at him from their distance, it caused the motionless boy a great deal of fear. It was because the beast's eyes were forebodingly dark, there was light brown fur flowing from his lower torso to his hooves, he had sharp, curved tusks, an extremely bulky upper body, and his size, compared to Grimmjow's, was enough to make him realize there was nothing he could even attempt to do to save the man. How could he when he was practically paralyzed from fear mixed with injury and had no Reiatsu left to fight?

The only thing he could do was watch as the monster reached down and picked Grimmjow up from the ground with one of his large hands.

Tesla squinted spitefully at the beaten warrior in his clutch. Using his free hand, he reached out and grabbed Grimmjow's long tail and used that to hold him suspended in the air, swinging him back and forth with it mockingly.

"Punishment for the little kitty." Ichigo heard the swine-like brute say.

A single tear escaped one of his eyes, falling to the sand that he laid against, and he grimaced agonizingly when he saw Tesla start slamming Grimmjow onto the ground, using his tail to keep him within his grasp.

It was merciless; a devastating act to watch. What was worse, he could actually feel the ground shake each time Grimmjow collided with the sand.

Grimmjow, for as injured as he already was, was unable to do anything but open his mouth as if he were screaming out in pain each time his body was slammed against the ground.

"I wonder-! If this tail of yours-! Will tear off-! If I keep this up!" Tesla said between lifting Grimmjow into the air and striking him down against the sand.

Loud 'booms' echoed in the area, reaching Ichigo's ears and making him grit his teeth. "Stop… it…" he mumbled, unable to take any more of the horrible sight.

Tesla continued his punishment, making sure to spout antagonizing statements about Grimmjow at every chance he was allowed.

"Stop it."

Grimmjow cried out in agony, and his dark blood was spilled all over the sand, leaving stains where it landed.

"Stop it!"

Tesla grinned and stated that he has detested Grimmjow since longer than he could even remember. He then tossed him up into the air, only to run him through the chest with his right tusk. Multiple trails of dark red blood trickled down the ivory appendage, and then Tesla leered at the motionless bluenette.

"STOP IIIT!" Ichigo shouted, breaking free from his vegetable-like state and sitting up on his arms.

"There is no reason for me to stop. Scum like this should be wiped off the face of Earthia." Snatching Grimmjow off his tusk, Tesla started squeezing him with a death grip in an attempt to destroy his thick-shelled armor.

When that didn't show any signs of working, he decided he would change things up and torture two people at once.

Holding Grimmjow up in Ichigo's direction like he was some sort of unattainable prize, he made sure the boy was still watching him.

Then, releasing Grimmjow from his hand, he left him suspended in air for about half a second. He knew that time would feel like eons to the orange-haired boy on the ground ahead of him because he probably knew what was coming next.

Ichigo's orange bangs blew back violently from the gusts of wind caused by Tesla slamming his hands together with Grimmjow in between them, and he stared with a horror-struck expression.

It felt… unreal. Everything about this moment, it just had to be fake. It _must_ have been a nightmare. _All_ of it.

And that's what he told himself it was—a nightmare.

Tesla slowly opened his hands and let Grimmjow fall, but quickly slammed his hoofed foot against him before he could hit the ground, sending him flying into the air. He jumped up next to him and punched the man, sending him soaring across the sky and landing off in the distance.

Ichigo, the poor thing, was completely motionless through it all.

He couldn't even move when the large beast started walking his way.

It was obvious to Tesla he had stopped responding due to the stimuli, which were the horrible things he'd just done to Grimmjow. He probably even temporarily lost consciousness from the pure brutality of this experience. _"Poor, sheltered soldier. This is the way things are out here in the desert." _he thought.

The sand trembled with each step he took towards the helpless kid, the quakes seemingly got stronger and stronger as he got closer. He stopped in front of the boy, who had been telling him to stop attacking Grimmjow the entire time, and stared down at him.

Ichigo found it in himself to look up, slowly, at the creature before him. He only got a glimpse of its smirk before he was effortlessly kicked across the sky the same way Grimmjow had been.

Los Noches kingdom, along with the rest of the world, spun rapidly as he spiraled about in his airborne state. It was enough to make him close his eyes to avoid vomiting.

Landing stomach down on something that wasn't sand, and was in fact hard, he opened his eyes when he realized he'd hit Grimmjow.

It almost took everything out of him to push himself up, and when he did, he felt his heart nearly jump from his chest at the sight before him.

Grimmjow was lying, battered and at Death's door, on the ground beneath him. There was a lot of blood and sand all over his torso that was sourced from the wound Nnoitra had given him, blood coming from his nose and the corners of his mouth, and there was also a large trail of blood flowing down from his cerulean-colored hair. Another hole was now present in his torso from where Tesla had run him through with one of his tusks.

Saving him when he was so far gone seemed totally impossible at this point, but even so…

"Grimmjow…!" he cried. "Grimmjow, open your eyes!"

The thought of him dying… it was too much. Far too much for him to handle.

Quickly, he got down and pressed his ear against the man's chest. He was relieved to hear a heartbeat, but it was a very slow and faint one.

"Shit!" he cursed. "Grimmjow, please don't leave me alone! You can't die on me! After all, you… You said you'd keep _me_ from dying! You have to help me! Help me help you! ...GRIMMJOOOW!"

His desperately sincere cries and pleas earned him no response whatsoever.

After taking a moment to realize they weren't going to save Grimmjow, he stopped shouting and just sat there with a hopeless expression on his face. He even felt his lips start to quiver at the thought of Grimmjow leaving him all alone.

The wind started blowing gently against him, and the area grew quiet once it stopped… almost too quiet...

It was then he remembered there was still a colossal-sized enemy who meant to slaughter them.

The world suddenly grew dark around him, mainly the sky, and he realized he'd seen this before… when he'd fought Grimmjow... and when Shinji had fought Grimmjow…

Not even turning around to see it, he knew a Cero was about to be fired at them to end their lives.

Looking down at Grimmjow, he didn't know what else to do, so he smiled and took the man's black fur-covered hand into his. "…We'll burn together." He said in a low voice, and then leaned forward. Using his body as a shield, he moved closer to him and pressed his lips against Grimmjow's swollen ones lovingly. Closing his eyes, he felt he had no regrets. Everyone back in Seireitei was safe, and that was all he needed to know to accept his end with dignity.

It was all he could do now, being with Grimmjow like this, considering he had no strength to run, nor the Reiatsu he needed to fight.

A calm voice faintly echoed across the land, but what it was saying was unintelligible.

Though, it sounded like it was saying, _'you have yet to begin your journey'_.

Feeling a light squeeze from Grimmjow's hand, Ichigo was drawn from his final thoughts and squeezed it back tightly.

"_It's okay now… We… won't be restricted by titles or kingdoms… in the afterlife. And we… we can be-"_

The feeling of gravity becoming heavy interrupted his thoughts, and he heard the familiar sound of a Cero approaching, making him close his eyes even tighter than they'd been before. He was preparing himself for what he assumed would be a very painful ending.

Yet, nothing happened to him.

Then suddenly, an explosion sounded behind him and a gust of wind resulted, causing his shirt to lift up from the back.

The sound of three more Ceros echoed, but still nothing happened to him.

Three more explosions sounded behind him, causing the ground to quake and the wind to blow violently.

Taking a chance, he pulled his lips away from Grimmjow's and slowly sat up. Opening his eyes, he saw that he was still in the same desert as before, just a few miles away from Los Noches kingdom.

Upon glancing down, he also saw Grimmjow still lying in front of him in the same battered condition he was in before he closed his eyes. "We're… we're alive…"

"That's right. Everything will be okay." He heard someone say behind him.

Jumping when he realized whose voice it was, he whipped around and was surprised to see Nelliel's backside emerge from a cloud of smoke. "Nel…?!" he breathed out disbelievingly.

"Hello there, Ichigo. Sorry I'm late." The girl turned and looked over her shoulder at him. "I see you were finally able to find someone that your heart burns for." She said with a benevolent smile.

**Anything you have to say, please say it in a review! Thank you for reading, and see you next chapter.**


	19. escape and vows to meet again

**Aww! I was so happy to see Inoue in the latest manga chapter! And I'm also excited about the swimming anime about to premier in a few hours!**

**Haha, so anyway, R & R. Hope you enjoy the chapter. I sure did.**

escape and vows to meet again

Seated beside Grimmjow with his eyebrows high on his forehead and his mouth agape, Ichigo stared up at Nelliel. She was towering over him with the sun beaming down on her brilliantly as if she was some sort of angel.

Shaking himself out of his initial shock, the orange-haired boy spoke. "N-Nel… What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I came to save you, of course! I don't really understand it myself, but something just… told me to go to the kingdom gates. So that's exactly what I did. I climbed to the top of them and walked for a while, then that's when I saw you being given the business by that monster over there." The girl responded with a warm look that matched her sunlit glow.

Ichigo looked down to the golden sand all around him. All he could think about now was how he'd possibly be able to save Nel _and_ Grimmjow at the same time.

"Don't think I need saving by you." Nelliel said as if she had read his thoughts, and then turned and bent down in front of him. "I'm can take care of myself. After all, I did just stop those Ceros that were about to blast you and your boyfriend to bits."

With cheeks so red they could put a rose to shame, Ichigo looked up from the ground to Nelliel. "He's _NOT_ my boyfriend!" he said defensively.

"Oh yeah?" Nelliel asked, her big, light brown eyes moving to where Ichigo's hand was.

Ichigo followed her eyes and was embarrassed when he saw that he was still holding hands with Grimmjow.

Quickly, he snatched his hand from the man's grasp. And it hit him after he'd pulled it away that Grimmjow had actually been squeezing his hand back. But he didn't have time to think about what that meant with the nosy Nelliel staring at him suggestively.

"We're not together! I just-"

"Love him?"

"…Stop that, Nel…" the boy blushed, looking at Grimmjow's face from the corner of his eye.

"Well, putting you and your romance aside for the moment… what are you doing out here near Los Noches? I thought you went home a long time ago. I was surprised to see you of all people fighting over here…"

"I uh… I came back…"

"Is that so…? You didn't even come to see me even though you said you would…" Nelliel said, uttering the last part in an almost muted voice.

"I came back for a reason. A very important one, in fact. But I actually haven't even been here that long."

"I _see_!" the girl said, elbowing the boy in front of her eagerly.

"Stop that! I told you, he and I _aren't_ together!"

"Does being with him embarrass you? 'Cuz I won't judge for that kind of thing, you know…"

Ichigo closed his eyes and bawled his hands up into fists. "It's not like that at all! …There's… no way it could be…"

"Well, if that's what you say, guess I'll believe it… for now."

"…Anyway… Nel… How did you save us just now?"

The teal-haired girl turned and looked over her shoulder where their enemy was a ways away. She had to make sure they weren't in danger before she could continue speaking with Ichigo.

The large animal, which she could tell from Nnoitra being in the vicinity was Tesla, had only just started heading their way. And he was slow about it.

"Ichigo, I deflected that guy's Ceros so they wouldn't kill you and your-"

"Don't you say it."

"Hee hee! Whatever! I… I can't really explain it much more than I have right now. We're about to be bombarded, so I'll go take care of Tesla before he can attack… and then I'll deal with Nnoitra."

Ichigo's eyebrows flew up his forehead. "What?! You-how can you say that!? That guy is an _Espada_, right?!"

"There's a lot about me you don't know, Ichigo." Nelliel began. Standing up, she smiled down at the boy once more. "You'll be safe if you don't move from that spot."

Ichigo's brown eyes went wide when the girl turned around and a large '3' appeared underneath her shirt as it blew up in the wind.

Grimmjow, hanging on to consciousness by a thread, opened his eyes as much as he could and looked up at Ichigo. He couldn't believe how far this kid was going for him considering all he had put him through in the past. It was strange having someone go out of their way to save him, and it wasn't something he'd be forgetting anytime soon… even if it did disgust him.

His cerulean eyes went wide when he looked past Ichigo and saw a large '3' tattooed in the same style as the other Espada's on a girl's back.

"Argh…!" he groaned when he felt his chest start to sting.

Ichigo turned and looked back down at Grimmjow quickly. "Grimmjow!" he said.

"Ichigo…" Nelliel called.

"Yeah?"

"I take back what I said just now. It would be best for you to take your man and go. Get as far away from this place as you can, and don't look back."

With wide eyes, Ichigo responded to Nelliel's order. "What do you mean by that?! What about you?!"

"I already told you. I can handle myself. But you… you're in pretty rough shape, and Grimmjow is in even deeper than you are. If you can get him into your kingdom, do that. Because there will be war if you take him back to Los Noches and he recovers."

A look of bewilderment found its way to the orange-haired boy's face. "War…?" he asked.

"Aizen left the kingdom last night, so his influence over the Espada has been somewhat diminished. If, by chance, I cannot stop Nnoitra here, the battle between him and Grimmjow would carry on within the kingdom walls. You must realize by now the two of them don't care much for the safety of the citizens. So we have to prevent them from meeting and engaging each other again at all costs. That's why you need to take Grimmjow far away from here. It doesn't matter where you take him, just go."

"Nel…"

"You don't have much time, Ichigo! Tesla is coming this way!" said girl exclaimed.

Ichigo closed his eyes tight for a moment. It wasn't like he didn't want to go… It was just… he didn't want to leave Nelliel fighting an Espada and his follower all alone. It wasn't what he was trained to do as a Court Guard.

But… as a human, he did realize Grimmjow was in danger of losing his life. Nelliel had a good point. If he got healed and met that other guy again, they'd most likely fight, disregarding the people who got caught up in their battle.

"Go human!" he heard Pantera call from a distance.

"Now's your chance! You might not get another one!" Nelliel added.

Feeling the ground begin to tremble beneath him, Ichigo knew Tesla was approaching, and fast.

Opening his eyes again, he looked up at Nelliel. "You'd better catch up with me." He said.

"Right! Now stop wasting time!" the girl said, and then took off running towards the approaching enemy.

"Pantera! Come on!" the orange-haired boy shouted.

When the panther shook his head at him, he was surprised.

"I trust you will take care of Grimmjow until he is well! Now get going! I'll aid the girl!" Pantera said, dashing off behind Nelliel when she passed him.

"… Okay! I understand! I'm leaving this to you two, then! We'll all meet up in Seireitei in a few days! Promise me!"

"Yeah, yeah!" he heard Nelliel say, before she collided with Tesla, causing a large wave of sand to shoot skyward.

Ichigo looked down to Grimmjow, and saw that his cerulean-colored eyes were open.

"Grimmjow… I'm taking you now. You'll be okay with me, I promise." He said.

"Tch… don't bother… I'd rather die here than… trust you."

"No objections, you hear?"

Carefully, Ichigo lifted the man up into a sitting position before he leaned forward with him. Pulling Grimmjow's right arm over his shoulder, he hoisted him up piggyback style and then took off in the direction of Seireitei with him.

"Be careful…" he spoke quietly while looking over his shoulder at Nelliel.

Just as he thought he was a good enough distance away from the fighting, something came out of nowhere and collided with the side of his head, knocking him to the ground and causing Grimmjow to fall off his back.

Wiping the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, he realized Grimmjow had fallen into the sand and that probably caused him a lot of pain. Quickly, he turned and looked over his shoulder to see what had hit him.

"And just where the hell d'ya think you're going?" Nnoitra asked with a malicious look plastered on his face.

"You…!" Ichigo said angrily.

Turning from Ichigo to look over at Grimmjow, Nnoitra shook his head at him disapprovingly. "What kind of warrior are you if you need to be saved by a bunch of children, huh?!"

Grimmjow stared up at the man without saying a word.

"That's fine. Yeah. It's okay. Because after I wipe you maggots off the face of Earthia, I'm going to take the crown from Aizen and become king! Grimmjow, you couldn't hold a candle to my power… and neither can your little fuck toy." Nnoitra said, and then turned and started walking in Ichigo's direction.

Grimmjow bawled his hand up into a fist and gritted his teeth as the man got closer and closer to his prey. "Don't you… fucking touch him!" he shouted, seeing red.

"Do something about it." The raven-haired man mocked as he continued walking towards the boy.

Ichigo stood from the sand and held Zangetsu up defensively as Nnoitra approached him.

When the man stuck out his tongue, his brown eyes went wide.

"Number five. I'm the fifth Espada, Nnoitra Gilga. I'm much stronger than that piece of shit back there, and you couldn't even beat him and escape from being his cum dumpster." Nnoitra said while dragging his heavy, double-crescent shaped sword through the sand behind him.

Ichigo's eyebrows knitted down. "… Who said… who ever said… I wasn't okay with being Grimmjow's _cum dumpster_?!"

"Hmph. So you're _that_ kind of man, huh? All the more reason for me to put you down like a diseased dog!"

Without knowing what else to do with no more Reiatsu, when Nnoitra got close enough, Ichigo kneeled down.

"Don't go thinking I want anything like what that shitbag wanted from you. He's an anomaly among anomalies." Nnoitra said with a disgusted expression.

"Hmph! Don't think I would submit to anyone _but_ that shitbag!" Ichigo retorted, grabbing up a handful of sand and throwing it in the man's face.

When he saw that it had successfully blinded his one eye, he got up and sprinted past him, heading to where Grimmjow was.

Hearing hurried footsteps approaching as he ran, the boy turned.

"Not so fast." Nnoitra unexpectedly said, coming right up beside him.

Ichigo's gasped when he realized the man had just been acting like he had been blinded.

He turned around when he heard something else approaching him fast, and felt his mental train of thought shut down from what he saw.

It was the man's strangely shaped sword coming to cut him asunder.

"DIE YOU LITTLE FAGGOT!"

Ichigo tripped on his feet and tumbled forward. He closed his eyes tight in anticipation of the moment, but instead of being sliced in two, he heard the sound of metal loudly clanging against metal.

Opening his eyes, he slowly turned around, wondering who had saved him this time.

"Ichigo! You need to be faster than that if you wanna save yourself and your boyfriend's hide!" Nelliel said commandingly.

"How…?" Ichigo began.

Moving over to get a better view of how Nelliel had saved him, he couldn't believe his eyes when he saw her bracing a sword against Nnoitra's.

"Nel-"

"Get going! I can handle Nnoitra and Tesla without your help! What's more, you'd only be in the way here with no Reiatsu. But you can be of use to Grimmjow! You're a medic, right? Well do what you can for him and let me handle this!"

"Tch! I didn't even feel you here, Nelliel!" Nnoitra said, pulling his blade back to his side by its long, black chain.

"That's because you were too busy fighting that scorpion. And you were so focused on killing Grimmjow and Ichigo that you didn't pay attention to who was whipping your Fracción's ass."

Ichigo took his chance and got up quickly, then rushed to Grimmjow's side. "Grimmjow! I'm sorry I dropped you! We're getting out of here!" he said, picking him up piggyback style again.

"No… Put me down… I… I can still-"

"We're going!" the boy interrupted. Looking over his shoulder, he stared at Nelliel's backside. "You'd better meet up with me!"

"I will! Who knows? I might end up saving you again!" the girl responded.

With a nod, Ichigo tightened his grip on the underside of Grimmjow's armored thighs. Even with the pain from his sides bothering him, or the man's raspy and disapproving remarks filling his ear, he started running. Looking out to the horizon, he realized he couldn't see Seireitei any longer.

"What's that?! I can't… I can't see anything on the horizon!" he shouted.

"A fucking sandstorm! Put me down!" Grimmjow answered angrily, coughing out blood after he did. "You'll only… get lost and… get us both killed…! If I'm gonna die… I at least want to… die fighting!"

"No." Ichigo said authoritatively as he continued to run. What Nelliel said about Grimmjow and Nnoitra found its way back to his thoughts. There was no point in going back to Los Noches for the safety of the citizens, but also because the help they needed now was in Seireitei, even if it would take a while to get there with his Reiatsu only just starting to regenerate. Seireitei was where he had intended to take Grimmjow when he first arrived on this battlefield, anyway. "Even if the trip seems like a death trap, we'll make it. I know we will!"

With a promise in his heart to make it home safely, he was off with Grimmjow into the foreboding desert.

* * *

**Me:** So Ichigo, how does it feel to have Grimmjow's blood running down your back?

**Ichigo:** *running* It's... warm and... it's kinda uncomfortable for me because I know he's in pain... There's a hole in his chest and a large gash going down his torso.

**Grimmjow:** *coughs* Put me down or I'll bite your ear off, Court Guard!

**Me:** Don't worry, Ichi. You'll be clean in just a little while. Hee hee!

**Ichigo:** *squinting* What do you have planned...?

**Me:** You'll see... don't get too lost... hee hee. *grins*


	20. malice, tears, & footprints in the sand

malice, tears, and footprints in the sand

Elegantly stepping out of the way of one of Tesla's attacks, Nel thought she had enough time to counter him, but something caught hold of her leg just before she could.

Turning to look over her shoulder, she saw Nnoitra smirking as he held onto her leg tightly.

"Hey! No fair! Let go!" she exclaimed.

"This ain't about fair! You stepped into a fight that didn't concern you!" Nnoitra retorted, lifting the girl up into the air and then slamming her down against the sand.

Just as he was about to send his heavy sword down on her, Pantera charged him, digging his nails into the man's Hierro.

"Fuck!" he exclaimed, and started dancing around trying to get the animal off.

Nel got up on her elbow and gasped when she saw Nnoitra grab Pantera by the neck and slam him onto the ground. "Stop it!" she said before the man's foot connected with the panther's side, sending him flying across the sky.

"That'll teach ya!" Nnoitra said angrily. He brought his hand up and held on to where the panther had pierced his Hierro on his back. "Shit… If there's one thing Grimmjow was good for was persistence, even when he had no chance of winning. But for his spirit animal to pierce my Hierro, that's simply unbelieva-"

"You jerk! He's an innocent animal!" Nel called, getting up on her feet again.

"Shut up!" the Quinto Espada snapped. "Tesla! Take care of that nuisance!"

"Right!" Tesla nodded and turned, then started heading to where Pantera was lying.

Nel gripped her sword, feeling pure anger for the first time in a very long time. If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was animal abuse. She momentarily gave up on fighting Nnoitra, deciding she would take care of Tesla before he could do anything to Grimmjow's animal.

Just as she started running towards him, the ground started quaking, causing her to lose her balance and fall face first into the sand.

Nnoitra turned when the sovereign scorpion emitted a screeching noise. Suddenly, three large scorpions emerged from the sand, surrounding Tesla. "Wh-what the fuck is this?! Why are they surrounding him when that useless excuse for a spirit animal is lying on the ground over there?!" he said.

"_It's because they feed on maliciousness, and he reeks of it!"_ Nel thought, pulling her arm out from the sand.

Tesla smirked when the scorpions got closer to him because none of them were large enough to frighten him.

Picking herself up off the ground, Nel realized this was exactly the kind of situation she needed. "Oh! That's good! I don't have to worry about him for a while, then. Nnoitra!" she called.

Said man turned to her. "The hell do you want?"

"Let's do this! I'm gonna take you out before Tesla can finish off those scorpions!"

"Even though I want to kill you right now, the smart thing for me to do would be to finish off that king scorpion so we won't face any more interruptions." Nnoitra responded, and then started heading towards the four-tailed scorpion.

"Tch! Just like you to run away from a fight with me! Once a weakling, always a weakling!" the teal-haired girl baited.

As expected, Nnoitra stopped dead in his tracks.

"Nelliel…" he began, "I'm going to kill you. And then I'm going to hunt down that little faggot who ran off with Grimmjow. When I find him, I'll make sure to cut his head off and mount in my quarters!"

Nel's light brown eyes went wide and her eyebrows furrowed.

There was no way she would allow it. There was no way she would let harm come to Ichigo. And that was because he was someone who had become very special to her. She was able to have fun with him, have deep talks with him, she admired him and his optimism… And most of all, he was the first person in a long time who treated her as if she were a _friend_.

"I'll take him out just like I did your old Fracción all that time ago!"

The girl did not verbally respond to the provocation. She simply stood up and raised her sword in front of her, its position matching the horizon's.

"Declare…" she stated, causing her body to glow a light shade of red.

Nnoitra's eyes went wide. "Wha-"

"Gamuza."

With the last of the three scorpions falling before him, Tesla turned around when he felt a gust of wind filled with Reiatsu fly past him.

Pantera, from his great distance away from the battlefield, also looked up to notice a silhouette in the smoke screen of sand. His blue eyes went wide when he saw that girl emerge from it. Her body had morphed into that of a centaur's, and it was covered in light brown fur from the waist down. On top of her head was a pair of white horns that were connected to a goat-like mask, which matched the white armor covering her shoulders, elbows, and hands.

He was surprised to see that this girl was also capable of Ressurecting the way the Espada could. It meant that she must have been an Espada herself at one point.

Nnoitra started laughing after Nelliel summoned her lance and thrust it into the sand beside her.

"What's funny about your defeat?" the girl asked seriously.

"You think just because you were the Tres Espada a long time ago that you'll be able to defeat me. But you're mistaken if you think my power is the same as it was when you were around! Even if you were ranked above me before, that doesn't amount to anything now!"

"Oh? Then why don't you come this way?" Nelliel asked. "Surely you believe what you just told me, right? Prove your strength here and now."

With a livid expression on his face and his eye twitching, Nnoitra gripped the long pole of his sword. "You're fucking dead meat!" he shouted, and then sprinted towards the girl.

Throwing his sword forward by its long chain, he was not surprised when Nelliel dodged his attack.

"You'll have to do better than that." Nelliel said in his ear.

Nnoitra tried getting away, but he wasn't quick enough.

Nelliel jumped up onto him and used all four of her hoofed feet to send him flying through the sand. "I'm not finished yet." She said. Lifting her lance, she lamented at the thought of defeating Nnoitra this way, but she knew this was the way it had to be if she wanted to help Ichigo. "Lanzaror Verde."

When Nelliel's lance came flying after him at full speed, Nnoitra reached out and grabbed hold of it. His eyes went wide from how much it tore at the Hierro on his hand as its spiraling velocity slowed.

He successfully managed to stop it just in time before it dug into his right shoulder.

After raising her hand, Nelliel's lance flew through the sky and came to her again. And when she got it, she started running at full speed towards Nnoitra.

"Enough of this!" the raven-haired man shouted, standing up and snatching his sword up as well.

"My thoughts exactly." Nelliel said, raising her weapon over her shoulder.

Just as she was about to throw it, her body started glowing brightly. Then immediately, her Resurrección state vanished.

Tesla's eyes, Pantera's eyes, Nnoitra's eyes, and Nel's eyes were all wide when it happened.

Falling into the sand right in front of Nnoitra, the teal-haired girl got up on her knees and looked down at her hands. "No! Not now!" she said, and then felt herself growing tired.

Nnoitra's foot landed right in front of her, making her look up at him with panic in her eyes. With her Resurrección state gone, she knew her chances of actually winning this fight had dwindled significantly. That's why she was trying to end things quickly because she never had a long duration with that power, even in the beginning.

"Heheheheeh! You're finished, Nelliel!" Nnoitra shouted, then slammed his foot against the girl's jaw, sending her flying through the sky.

Tesla smirked and, instead of continuing over to Pantera, used a Sonído to reach Nel and punched her down onto the ground.

"Ugh!" the girl cried out.

"That was for letting that kid escape with Grimmjow. Nnoitra-sama clearly wanted both of them to perish here, yet you had to interfere." The beast said calmly. Lifting his hand, he made to punch her again, but something stopped him. "W-what the-"

"Man, why do I always gotta be the hero? Such a pain…" someone's deep voice said.

Nel looked up and was surprised to see a man in a uniform very similar to the one Ichigo was wearing when she first met him. He also had a sword, which he was using to halt Tesla's attack.

"What a pretty little girl."

"Who-who are you?" Nel asked.

"A captain from Seireitei kingdom. Captain of the Eleventh Division of the Court Guard Squads, Kenpachi Zaraki."

"And I'm his Lieutenant! Yachiru Kusajishi!" a little girl said, emerging from the man's white haori.

With a thrust of his wrist, Kenpachi effortlessly shook Tesla off, sending him sliding back a few feet.

"Thank you… for saving me. I thought I could end things quickly with my power, but I guess it's been a while since I last used it. And here I told Ichigo I could handle this…"

"Did you just say 'Ichigo'?" Kenpachi asked eagerly.

"Y-yeah."

"Orange hair and a perpetual scowl?" Yachiru asked, jumping down next to Nel.

"Yeah, that's about right." The teal-haired girl said, not surprised that someone else pointed out his everlasting scowl.

Grinning from ear to ear, Kenpachi expressed his excitement as he started walking towards Nnoitra. "Guess taking the desert route back to Seireitei was a good idea after all. I get to fight, and now I know where Ichigo is. Everyone's been looking for him, but I'm the one to get the first news about him!"

"Wait, what?! You're going to fight?" Nel asked, surprised that someone from Seireitei would get involved in a Los Noches battle.

"…" Kenpachi stopped in his tracks. "Guess I can't if I don't want to start a war. The old man would never let me live it down if I did."

"Just like a Court Guard. Scared to fight and useless in battle!" Nnoitra said as he approached. "Just like that wimpy ass fag who scurried off with Grimmjow."

Kenpachi turned and looked at Nnoitra. "What was that?"

"Nnoitra is the one who started this." Nel began. "He attacked Grimmjow while he was weakened, and Ichigo stepped in to stop him from killing him."

"Icchi did?" Yachiru asked.

"Mhmm."

"Did Ichigo get wounded while trying to save this Grimmjow character?" Kenpachi asked. He recalled that name as the one of the Espada who attacked Kuchiki, Abarai, and Ichigo over a month ago. It kind of puzzled him why Ichigo would save him, but he dismissed it from his mind after remembering how sympathetic the kid could be to others.

"… Yeah. These two were merciless against him. He had no Reiatsu, but they attacked him anyway."

"And I'm gonna go finish him off just as soon as I'm done with you insects!"

Raising an eyebrow, Kenpachi started heading towards Nnoitra. "Insects?" he echoed.

"Ken-chan, are you gonna fight?!" Yachiru exclaimed.

"Yeah, so stay back." The spike-haired man responded.

"I won't let you!" Tesla said, and then used a Sonído to reach Kenpachi.

"Tesla no, stay back!" Nnoitra shouted.

Tesla made to punch the Court Guard, but his fist collided with the man's jagged sword and he gasped as it cut clean through his hand.

Kenpachi turned around and cut the beast down so he would not get back up to fight again. He was intent on fighting this Espada for attacking Ichigo, and he didn't want to leave this guy free to attack him, Yachiru, or the other girl while he wasn't paying attention.

Landing on his back in the sand with a loud 'thud', Tesla let a tear escape his eye as he watched the Court Guard start heading towards his master. "I'm sorry, Master Nnoitra… I couldn't help you more than this…" he whispered.

With an irritated expression on his face, Kenpachi continued heading towards Nnoitra. "So you had the nerve to attack Kurosaki Ichigo as he protected one of your comrades? I've seen plenty of guys like you. And judging from that look in your eyes, you were probably just trying to strike down a weakened man, which he stopped you from doing."

"What of it? He serves no purpose anymore, and frankly, I was tired of him gloating about how much stronger than Ulquiorra he was! That bastard skipped over me completely, considering me to not even be on his radar! I hate it when weaklings talk big but don't back it up! So I decided to get rid of him. But you peace loving Court Guards keep getting in my way and preventing me from doing that. Didn't you bastards ever learn to mind your own damned business?!"

"You know, I could understand you raising your sword to the guy while he was in decent fighting shape…" Kenpachi began, coming to a stop a few paces away from Nnoitra. "But you chose to go the easy way out and attacked him while he was down. I can't stand cowards like that. If anything, you're the only weakling around here!"

"FUCK YOU!" Nnoitra shouted. Lifting up his sword, he charged at Kenpachi.

…

"Is that your friend?" Yachiru asked Nel.

"What?" the older girl responded, getting up on her knees and dusting herself off.

"Is that kitty over there your friend?" the pinkette asked, pointing off in the distance.

Nel looked to where Yachiru pointed and she gasped. "Oh! That animal came to help Ichigo when he was trying to save Grimmjow!"

"Hmm… You'd best take him and get out of here."

"What?"

"Take that kitty with you and go. It will get dangerous around here if you stay. Ken-chan's got that look in his eye. He's ready to go all out because of the way that Espada treats other people."

"That's something to say to me! You're younger than I am! How did you even become a Lieutenant?!" Nel said, now knowing exactly what Ichigo felt like when she told him what this girl was telling her.

Yachiru grinned. "It's a long story. And I don't really feel like telling it while Ken-chan is fighting."

Nel sighed. "I'll go see to that animal, but I can't just leave. If nothing else, I'll see to it that Nnoitra is defeated even if it costs me my life. After all, I told Ichigo I would take care of this."

"Icchi left already, huh? Did he go back to Los Noches?"

Shaking her head, Nel stood up off the ground. "No. He said he was going to Seireitei… but he was kind of wounded… so I don't know how long that trip will take him."

"Oh! Well, we'll have to get back home immediately! Definitely before Icchi does!" Yachiru said excitedly.

"Why's that?"

"We were informed that Ichigo has three days to be returned to the kingdom, or there will probably be war. We have to let the Head Captain know he's coming so we can avoid that!" Turning from the taller girl to where Kenpachi was fighting, Yachiru raised her hand to call out to her captain. "KEN-CHAN! ICHI'S GOING HOME! WE HAVE TO HURRY UP AND GET BACK!"

"Gotcha!" Zaraki said, and stepped back from Nnoitra's flying sword.

"Stop playing around, Court Guard! I don't have time for this shit if I'm gonna go finish off those rats that got away thanks to Nelliel!"

A bright gleam flashed in Kenpachi's eyes and he quickly turned from defense to offense. Sending his sword down at full speed, he successfully connected it with the Espada's arm. "I see I only managed to give you a little cut." He said, seeing that his sword had not chopped the arm off like he intended it to.

"Heheh! I won't shed blood that easily! I have the strongest Hierro of all the Espada, both past and present!"

"You can say whatever you want, but now I know I _can_ cut you."

"I don't think so! Not after how much I strengthened my Hierro over the years!"

"Heh! Sounds like you're actually afraid of being cut down, then." Kenpachi countered.

Nnoitra squinted. "Tch! As if! I know I'm gonna die fighting, but it won't be to a worm like you, Grimmjow, or his fuck toy!"

"…Fuck toy? …You mean Ichigo?"

Grabbing Kenpachi's sword by the blade, the long-toothed man grinned and pulled him closer. "That's right. That orange-haired fucker is little more than Grimmjow's sex slave! I take it he likes it since he saved the shitbag from my sword! He's truly a pitiful excuse for a man, and I'm just itching to bury him in this desert!"

"Hey, Espada..."

"What?"

"Even if Ichigo has different tastes than what this world thinks is normal, I can't let you continue to threaten and bad mouth him." Kenpachi said gravely.

"Oh yea-"

Snatching his sword free, Kenpachi lifted it into the air and sent it through Nnoitra's eye patch.

The two of them stood there in silence for a moment, unmoving and surrounded by the sounds of the wind. Off in the distance, the two girls could be heard arguing about what the panther's name was.

"Think you got me?" Nnoitra asked, taking Kenpachi's sword into his hand again. "Think again." He said, using the tip of it to lift up his eye patch and reveal his hole.

"A hole, huh? What a lucky break." Kenpachi said with a smirk. He truly was surprised.

Blood boiling from the man's comment, Nnoitra pulled him forward by his sword and then slammed his foot into his stomach. "Let me show you just how _un_lucky _you_ are for crossing paths with me!" he said.

When the Espada started glowing yellow, Kenpachi's eyes went wide.

"Pray. Santa Teresa!" Nnoitra called out, causing a shockwave of energy to whip about.

From the sand that flew up as a result of that shockwave, he did not see that Yachiru had defeated the sovereign scorpion he failed to.

"Now this is exciting!" Kenpachi said enthusiastically as he waited for Nnoitra to come out from the cloud of smoke. "I never imagined I'd get to go all out in battle right before I reached Seireitei!"

"Don't think you'll be making it home in one piece!" the Ressurected Espada declared, charging through the smoke at the Court Guard.

When two swords clashed against his own, Kenpachi was a bit surprised. "You have two swords now, I see." He said.

A wicked grin found its way to Nnoitra's face. "You did well to stop those…" From his sides, two more arms wielding swords show out, and tore into Kenpachi's sides. "But there was no way you could have seen those coming!" he said elatedly.

Looking down to his injured lower abdomen with wide eyes, Kenpachi was speechless. As his blood trickled down his leg, he realized he hadn't felt its warmth in a very long time. In fact, he almost forgot what it felt like to bleed.

"Seeing me like this… what does it make you feel, Court Guard? Are you afraid? Nervous? Wishing you never laid eyes on me?!" Nnoitra asked, overly confident in his power.

"Heh! None of the above." Kenpachi answered.

"What?"

"I'm actually… excited. I haven't felt like this in a long time!"

Snatching his four swords back, Nnoitra squinted. "You're not fooling anyone here, you bell wearing freak."

"I'm not trying to. Look." The man said, lifting his sword up in the air. "My sword is growing sharper and sharper by the minute. I think its absorbing your Reiatsu and using it to prepare itself to strike you down. And I'm gonna help it out!" He finished, pulling off his eye patch to encourage his sword to continue sharpening itself.

"…DON'T FUCK WITH ME!" the Espada roared. He quickly realized the man was delusional, and started chuckling for losing his composure the way he did. "If you feel that way, then come at me. Let's see how your one sword compares to my four!"

Without another word, Kenpachi dashed over to the man and made to attack, but two of Nnoitra's swords cut him in a vertical manner, tearing through the skin from his collarbone to his navel.

"Told you." Nnoitra said, and watched as his opponent fell to the ground.

After a few seconds of him not moving, he turned his attention to Yachiru, who was running over to Nelliel. Nelliel had a shocked expression on her face, but he dismissed that from his thoughts. He did not see that behind him was where the king scorpion was lying, defeated in the sand. And since he did not see it, he assumed the little girl would be an easy target.

Yachiru turned when she noticed the tall Espada coming her way.

"You're next, little girl." She heard him say.

"Hee hee! If you attack me, Ken-chan will get mad."

"H-Hey what are you saying?! Your boss just lost!" Nel exclaimed, pulling out her Zanpakutō and stepping in front of the smaller girl. Even if she managed to take down that scorpion, there was no way she could stand up to an Espada in their Resurrección state.

Yachiru remained silent and showed no emotion as the enemy approached.

Pantera lifted his head and was just as worried as Nel was when he saw Nnoitra getting closer to them.

But his eyes, Nel's eyes, and Nnoitra's eyes all went wide as Kenpachi suddenly appeared beside Nnoitra and blared his Reiatsu before tearing out one of his arms.

"Wha- He was down!" Nel exclaimed, with nothing short of disbelief in her voice.

"Tch!" Nnoitra jumped back and turned his full attention to Kenpachi again. "Playing dead ain't right." He said.

"Yeah, but neither is surprise limbs. I was thinking about how I could take care of them." Kenpachi replied honestly, looking down at the arm in his hand.

Effortlessly, Nnoitra regenerated the limb he'd just lost. "I'm going to rip your arms and legs off all at once using my arms to do it. I'll make sure the little girl is watching."

With a grin, Kenpachi tossed Nnoitra's dismembered arm to the sand below. "You know, I'm really having fun here!" He said.

Generating another sword, Nnoitra used a Sonído to get right in front of the Court Guard, and then started cutting away at his torso.

Kenpachi was surprised at first, not expecting such a lethal attack so suddenly, but he used his sword to start blocking the Espada's attacks. As he did, his wounds started bleeding all over his uniform bottoms. He knew that if he didn't finish this fight soon, he would probably die. "I… I'm not ready to die just yet." He said to himself, and then managed to get out of range of Nnoitra's swords.

"Don't back away, coward!" Nnoitra shouted angrily, and then started running after him.

"…" Glancing down at his sword, Kenpachi sighed and then jumped over Nnoitra's head, landing so Yachiru and the gypsy girl were behind him. The grip he had on now it would not be enough for this fight. He realized it was time to bring the fun to an end, and the best way to do that would be to use kendo. He also realized the energy he was about to send out should be facing away from his allies if he wanted to keep them alive.

He looked at Nnoitra seriously.

"Giving up?" the mantis-like man asked from over his shoulder.

"… No… I just wanted to ask you something."

"Ask away, seeing as you're about to die. I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

Kenpachi looked back down at his hand that was holding on to his sword before he continued. "Do you know what kendo is?" he asked.

"The hell kind of question is that?" Nnoitra asked in response, turning around to face him.

"I'm asking because you're wielding each of your swords with one hand. I fight the same way with my Zanpakutō, but I have kendo to fall back on should I need more striking power. Though, I hate fighting like that..."

"The hell are you talking about?" Nnoitra asked crossly.

"I mean taking your weapon up with two hands instead of just one. You seem to rely on the number of strikes you can make instead of the strength behind the strike." The sun glistened across the smooth metal blade on Kenpachi's sword as he looked up at his opponent. "And that is why you can't win."

Irately, Nnoitra tore at Kenpachi, lifting all four of his swords up at once to strike him down.

His eyes grew wide when he saw the Court Guard lifting his sword with both hands and a mass of bright yellow energy surrounding him.

Kenpachi slashed through Nnoitra's Hierro effortlessly, and watched as the man's blood spewed in the air. His resulting energy flew off in the distance, tearing through the sand dunes as it did, making him glad he turned away from Yachiru and the other two.

Yachiru remained emotionless as Nnoitra hit the ground. The wind started blowing gently, and she waited for Kenpachi to reach her.

Turning around and considering the battle his, Kenpachi started walking away from his defeated enemy.

"Agh! *huff* Where the hell do you think you're going?! Huh?!" Nnoitra shouted.

"The fight's over. You've lost." The spike-haired man responded as he continued on his way.

"Don't give me that!"

"Unlike you, I don't relish in cutting down people who are weakened and defeated."

Getting up on his feet again from just how enraged being ignored made him, Nnoitra grabbed up one of his swords and started running after Kenpachi, his wounds bleeding as he did. "This isn't over! Get back here and fight! If you don't, I'm simply going to recover and hunt you down!"

Kenpachi stopped and turned around, then waited for his opportunity. When the man's chest made itself vulnerable, he cut into it once more. Stepping back, he closed his eyes and let the Espada fall in front of him.

Near shaking from grief, Nel brought her hands up and held herself as she watched Nnoitra fall to the ground in a pool of his own blood. Tears formed in her eyes as she recalled the days when she protected him because he was weaker than she was. After making a brief eye contact with him, she had to look away to keep herself from crying like a baby. While she realized he needed to be taken down for what he tried to do to Ichigo, she hoped somewhere in her heart that maybe Nnoitra would have just left the situation alone so she wouldn't have to see this sight. _"Nnoitra… I'm sorry it had to end this way…"_

Kenpachi stood over Nnoitra and watched as his blood stained the sand underneath his body.

"Thank you for a good fight. Now pass on in peace." He said sincerely.

Yachiru smiled and walked over to her captain. "That was some match, Ken-chan!"

"Thanks. Now what was it you said earlier?" said man asked.

"Oh! We need to get going! Now! We have to let the Head Captain know Icchi's coming home!"

"Where is he?" Kenpachi asked Nel.

The teal-haired girl wiped her eyes and shrugged her shoulders. "He took off into the desert." She answered.

Closing his eyes, Kenpachi stood still for a moment. He opened them again and then scratched his head. "Can't sense him anywhere nearby."

"Yeah… His Reiatsu was pretty much gone." Nel said.

"Well, let's go, Yachiru. We're gonna beat Ichigo to the kingdom! Whaddya say to that?!"

"Right!" The girl short smiled, and then jumped up onto Kenpachi's left shoulder. "Oh! Look at you, Ken-chan! You'll have to sit through a lecture from Re-chan when we get back!"

"I know!" the man responded. Looking down to Nel for a second, Kenpachi smiled. "Take care of yourself." He said, and then Flash Stepped away.

"Huh?! That's some exit!" the girl replied after him. She then turned to Pantera. "I guess we should go to Seireitei too. We did promise Ichigo we'd meet him there."

Pantera nodded agreeably and picked himself up off the ground, noting the pain in his side from where he had been kicked by Nnoitra.

Despite that, he started walking off after the Court Guard captain, who had left deep footprints in the sand. When he realized the girl wasn't keeping up with him, he turned around.

"I'm coming… I'm just a little exhausted is all…" Nel said, falling to her knees.

Before she hit the ground, Pantera rushed over and caught her on his back, and then lifted her up so he could carry her.

"What a nice animal you are. You're nothing at all like your master."

Pantera ignored her statement and continued to follow the footprints in the sand. He knew they would get them to Seireitei, although they wouldn't arrive there nearly as fast as that Captain would. Considering the girl's condition, and his having to carry her, they'd probably be travelling through the desert for more than just a day or two…

**Comments on the story so far or my writing are always appreciated, so please submit a review!**

**And yeah, I know you were all anxious to see what happens with Grimmjow and Ichigo, but this battle/chapter was pretty important. I know it was far from accurate to the manga. Then again, none of this really is haha. I'm just as anxious as you all about the next chapter, let me assure you**


	21. desert oasis

**A/N: **So, I goofed when I edited the last chapter and accidentally posted it as both chapters 19 and 20. If you encountered this issue, I sincerely apologize. Please go and read chapter 19 if you ran into the same chapter twice. If not, you should disregard what I just said.

Onto this chapter! I'm so glad it's the longest one so far because I intended for it to be. It is very significant.

Hope you enjoy it! I definitely did.

desert oasis

Lifting his hand up to shield his eyes from the sun's intensely bright rays of light, Ichigo looked up to the vast blue sky that was filled with white, puffy clouds to make sure he still had time to travel before nightfall. From the sun's position up there, he could tell the time was between three and four o'clock.

Only a few more hours until nightfall.

"*huff* It's so… HAAAHT...! *huff*" he complained miserably, but continued climbing up an steep, golden sand dune.

When he thought about it carefully, none of the sand dunes he'd previously seen on either of his trips between Seireitei and Los Noches had been this large. But strangely enough, the ones in this area seemed very high in elevation. _"We probably got lost a while ago because of that sandstorm…" _he though seriously, trying not to lament over the idea.

With the hot light of the sun caressing his soft skin, he felt himself growing a little dizzy.

It wasn't long before he gave in to the heat and fell to his knees, then down on his stomach, dropping Grimmjow in the process.

He watched as the larger man slid down the sand dune a bit, and then came to a stop just a few feet below him.

"The sand is just as hot!" he said, regretting falling down onto it terribly.

After taking a few deep motivational breaths, he pushed himself up of the ground and walked over to where Grimmjow had slid to.

"I'm sorry about dropping you…" he said.

Pulling him up onto his back again, he continued up the large dune.

With his distance from the ground, he could see the sandstorm still passing a ways below him. Fortunately, he had managed to make it up high enough before the full force of it reached the area that he and Grimmjow were in. Though, even during the _seemingly_ harmless first wave of it he had to stop and shield Grimmjow's wounds with his body. He realized doing that was futile when he considered how many times he'd dropped the man _in_ the sand since he stopped that Espada from killing him.

"DAMN IIIIT!" the boy shouted up to the sky, feeling overheated, thirsty, and extremely exhausted.

"I thought I told you to put me down."

Ichigo's eyes widened when he heard Grimmjow's raspy voice in his ear.

"Grimmjow? I thought you had passed out a long time ago…"

"I just woke up, idiot. Why won't you fucking put me down?!" said man exclaimed, and then coughed right after he did.

Ichigo continued upwards, taking big steps in the sand with his heavy charge on his back. "Because I couldn't live with myself if I did something like that. I'd always know I was the one who left you to die out in this desert. Think about this from my point of view, will you?" He responded sincerely.

"Tch… that's a lame excuse… And don't ask me to see things from your point of view. I could never think the way a pansy like you does."

The boy rolled his auburn eyes at Grimmjow's follow-up, but dismissed him and grew excited when he finally reached the peak of the sand dune.

"WHOA! I-IS THAT A…"

Grimmjow looked over Ichigo's shoulder to see what it was he was so excited about, and his cerulean eyes grew wide from what lie hidden away in the middle of all the toweringly tall sand dunes.

"I'm not seeing things… this isn't a mirage, right?!" Ichigo continued happily.

"Idiot..." The bluenette said. "It's not a mirage."

"Hah! It's… then it's an OASIS!" the orange-haired boy shouted eagerly.

Indeed it was.

Tucked away from the rest of the desert where not many would go was this little sanctuary. The only reason Ichigo chanced upon it was because he'd been trying to avoid the sandstorm at a lower elevation than these sand dunes were.

Amazingly enough there was a large pool of blue water that shimmered in the sun's radiant light, and the source of it was a small waterfall that was surrounded by somewhat hardened rock in this oasis. There were also a few short palm trees, desert flowers, and shrubs scattered throughout the area. Noticeably, at the bottom of the narrow waterfall, there was a small rainbow.

Quickly, Ichigo started walking down the sandy slope in order to reach the pool of water below. He was so excited that he tripped, dropping Grimmjow once again, and tumbled down the sand dune with him.

They both slid into the water with large splashes, and immediately realized it was fairly deep because neither one of them hit the bottom.

Ichigo surfaced first, and then splashed himself in the face with the water to feel its cooling embrace. It felt so nice compared to the hellish heat he had to endure all this time. Traversing the vast desert, with no water or food, had been like walking through an oven that was cranked all the way up.

Cupping his hands together, he brought them up to his mouth and drank as much of the water as he could, which turned out to be surprisingly clean.

"I wish I had a bottle or something to carry some of this in…" he said regretfully.

Once he remembered that he dropped Grimmjow, he started looking around for him.

He was surprised to see the man swimming, using his one arm to do it, over to the shallow end of the water.

"Grimmjow?" he called.

"Not now, Court Guard! Leave me alone!" said man responded as he struggled against the water with his one arm and deep wounds.

Swimming over to him, Ichigo offered to help, but was shoved off.

"I'm just trying to help you! What's gotten into you all of a sudden?!"

When he reached the shallow end of the water, Grimmjow shook his thick mane of hair dry and fell forward onto the wet sand.

"Grimmjow…"

"I don't like deep water, okay?! Now get outta my face!"

Ichigo paused and took a moment to consider what he'd just been told. After getting over the initial shock of the other's confession, he started chuckling. It got so bad that he had to cover his mouth with his hand to keep it from being too obvious. "You swim around all the time in your bath tub!" He managed to say, and continued laughing.

"There's a difference! And what about this is _funny_?!"

"Grimmjow." The boy said once he calmed himself.

Said man did not respond. Instead, he flipped over onto his back and started breathing heavy breaths of relief.

It was then that Ichigo had the chance to see the wounds Grimmjow had received earlier again.

"Hey… your… your wounds are healing!" He said, mostly astonished because the hole in his chest was almost completely gone. The large cut he got from that Espada, which was made even worse by that follower of his, seemed to be taking a longer time to close, though.

"I'm in my Resurrección state, fool. Of course my wounds will heal."

"But…"

"But what!?"

"Your arm…"

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "That won't be coming back. I lost it while I was in my normal state, so I can't regenerate it."

"Why's that?" Ichigo asked, and swam up in front of the larger man.

"Some Arrancar can do that, but I can't. I only retained regenerative abilities _in_ my Resurrección state. I sacrificed regeneration through Resurrecting for power."

"Well that sounds just like something you'd do…"

"Anyway, what do you care?"

"Well… I-I care a lot." The boy responded, and then moved so he was right over Grimmjow. Reaching down, he touched the spot where the hole in the man's chest was. "…It really is healing... I'm amazed something like this didn't kill you…" He observed.

"Get away from me!" the bluenette exclaimed, pushing the boy away with his arm.

Ichigo looked at him with a disappointed expression on his face. "After all this, you're still pushing me away?"

"I never asked for your help, and I don't want it either! I've got no more worth as a warrior, considering how Nnoitra almost took me down! I deserve to die here in this desert!" Grimmjow yelled.

When Ichigo jumped onto him and wrapped his arms around his neck, he opened his eyes wide.

"What are you doing?!"

"Grimm, don't talk like that! There's always something else you can do, and there will always be new reasons to live! Fighting isn't everything you are, so please... please just… don't die because of simple-minded thinking like that!" The boy said, holding on to Grimmjow tightly. Even when he felt the man's sharp nails stab him in the side, he did not release him.

"Let go!" Grimmjow hissed.

"Only if you promise you'll keep living."

"What's it to you?!"

"It's… I don't know why, but it's everything to me." Ichigo said, and reached down to take hold of the hand that was stabbing him. Pulling it away, he released Grimmjow from their forced hug, then stared down at the fur-covered hand he was holding. He then looked back and saw Grimmjow's paw-shaped feet and his tail swishing about in the shallow water. "You really _do_ resemble a panther." He commented, recalling Pantera telling him about Grimmjow's past life.

"…"

"This water seems to be helping me heal as well… So maybe it's what's helping you recover so quickly... you know, along with your regeneration. They weren't doing this when we were being attacked by that big monster…"

Still holding on to Grimmjow's hand, Ichigo looked over to his stubbed left arm. While the oasis seemed to be doing a fair share of the work in healing his recent wounds, he knew it would not bring Grimmjow his arm back. That was something he would need to ask Inoue to do.

"Are you going to let go of my hand, Court Guard?" Grimmjow asked, making Ichigo blush.

"Oh… well… that depends. Are you going to stab me again?"

"If you back off, I won't have a reason to."

Realizing that was fair enough, Ichigo released the man's hand and moved back from him a bit.

"Grimmjow…"

"What did you mean back there when Tesla was about to kill us?"

"Huh?" Ichigo asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I heard you say 'we'll burn together' or some shit when that swine was about to blast us to smithereens. I'm asking you what you meant by that."

Blushing even deeper than before, Ichigo averted his eyes nervously. "It's… a long story. Well, it's not really long, just complicated."

"I'm not going anywhere at the moment."

"…Well… I guess I can tell you…"

"There's no guessing about it. Start talking."

"Okay…" Ichigo said, not really knowing why he was giving in to Grimmjow's orders. Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself so he could begin. There was no need to be nervous around Grimmjow, right? "Court Guards are supposed to uphold honor and keep high morals. It is something they tell us during training; the first thing, actually. And one of the things we do to ensure that we do that is… well… we have a Holy Book that we abide by. A lot of people in the kingdom follow it as well, but it is more stressed that we do than the citizens. It contains verses about how to live, how to treat others, and how to reach the Holy kingdom once we die so that we do not perish in Hell. I… I've been conflicted about myself and my standing with the Holy Being because the things you've been doing to me are a direct violation of a few verses from the book. But it's not entirely your fault because… at some point… I guess… I just gave in to you. And in doing so, I've become a sinner. Even you must know that homosexuality is considered an abomination—a crime against nature."

"I don't give a shit about that." Grimmjow said seriously. He'd become a crime against nature a long time ago, and it had nothing to do with sexuality.

"Well, I do. And… in becoming a sinner with you, there is really only one place we'll wind up when we die, and that place is Hell. It is said to be a pit of flames where we'll be confronted with our sins and tormented by them for the rest of time. And I… I said we'd 'burn together' because… well… I was thinking… that it may not have been so bad… you know, living in that kind of torture forever may have been a bit more bearable… if… you were there with me. We can be strong and endure it together." Ichigo said nervously, looking up to the blue sky to avoid seeing Grimmjow's reaction. Apparently he _was_ capable of getting nervous around him.

"I can't believe how hard you Court Guards are drilled with that nonsense. Out here in the desert, the only thing that matters is survival." The cerulean-haired man responded. "We don't pay much attention to the afterlife. We just live for what's going on now in this life, and indulge ourselves in the temptations of this world until we can do so no more. Actually, I don't think many people out here even _believe_ in an afterlife. Why would they want to, considering how cruel _this_ world is?"

"Wow, that… that sounds like a terrible outlook and an even worse way to live…"

"Well yours is no better! I can tell from what you just told me that you only abide by that book because you're _afraid_ of the _consequences_ that would follow if you didn't. That's not belief. Even I know that."

Ichigo chanced a glance at Grimmjow, and blushed when he did. He looked so… amazingly intelligent.

And he realized that the two of them were having an _actual_ conversation, albeit a controversial one.

Admittedly, what he just said struck him deeper than any blade ever had. He realized he believed in what he did primarily because he was afraid. And that _wasn't_ belief.

"Looks like I hit home." Grimmjow said.

"You… you may be right… but still…"

"What?"

"I want to find the answers someday. I want to believe with all my heart in a God that would be happy that his creations were able to find love. Even if it was with someone of the same sex, you know?"

"No, I don't know. And what the hell are you implying? Are you in love with m-"

"I'm not implying anything! I never said _I_ was in love with another man. I have a friend back home who is, and I would want him to have a pleasant afterlife even despite that. I don't think it's right to punish someone for _loving_ another person."

"A friend, huh? Of course."

"I'm serious! And anyway, what about you?! You have sex with me all the time! Even if you don't believe in it, that's still something that could eventually lead to lo-"

"Don't mistake me, Court Guard. I don't care who I'm fucking, just so long as I can assert my dominance over them. It's occasionally more satisfying to do it with another man, especially a prick like you. That's all this is. I don't know what it means to love, and I don't want to, either."

"You shouldn't say that! Love is… well… it's all we have as humans… It's the greatest thing we're capable of, and it leads to such amazing things. You should strive to achieve someone's love someday."

Grimmjow shook his head. "That's where we're different. You rely on that kind of shit to get by. I'm fine with the occasional fuck without strings attached. My true goals lie in battle."

"So what am I to you, then?"

This time it was Grimmjow who raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, I embody your fallen men's desires, right? Surely you wanted to protect them… that, too was a kind of love… you just don't realize it."

"You're delusional... I only want to honor their sacrifices. It has nothing to do with love."

Ichigo sighed. "…I can see we'll never agree about this… But it is nice, talking to someone like this… It's been a while since I've had the chance to."

Grimmjow sat up a little and looked down at his stubbed arm disappointedly.

Ichigo caught him doing it and smiled. "You know, I know of someone who can give you your arm back." He said.

With wide eyes, the bluenette looked up at the boy. "Don't fucking joke about this! I'll rip your mouth out!"

"I'm not." Staring right into Grimmjow's bright blue eyes, Ichigo kept a look of seriousness on his face.

"You're… you're kidding… You have to be…! There's… there's no way-"

"My friend can do it. She has the power to reject entire events and restore things to the way they were before those events changed them. She's even gotten to the point where she doesn't even need to know _what_ happened to be able to reject it. That power of hers what's kept me alive for so long. If it wasn't for her, I probably never would have met you because I'd be dead."

Grimmjow gave in for a moment to the thought of getting his arm back. "Let's say you _could_ get me my arm back. What's in it for you? Why should _I_ trust _you_?"

"There's nothing in it for me, really. But I hate seeing you so miserable. I care about you, you know… So you'll just have to take a chance with me, like I did with you." Ichigo said with a smile.

"…Fine. I'll go along with you. But know this: my ultimate goal is to become king of Los Noches. If you get in my way or do anything to jeopardize that, I'll cut you down and end your pathetic existence, got it Court Guard? Your fate will be sealed if this turns out to be a trap."

"I'm going to stop you right there, Grimmjow. If I'm going to help you, you're going to have to address me with more respect than that."

"Oh yeah?"

"That's right. My name is Kurosaki, Ichigo. All I ask is that you call me by my name, instead of referring to me like we'll never be able to understand each other. I don't walk around calling you 'Espada' or 'Arrancar' all day."

"Whatever."

"No, it's not _whatever_. Say it. Say my name, Grimmjow."

Grimmjow closed his eyes and frowned up childishly. "Ku…ro…sa…ki." He said, pronouncing the syllables irritatedly.

"Good." The boy smiled again. While Grimmjow had his eyes closed, he took note of his Resurrected state even more closely. The things that stood out, still, were his mask and hole. The mask had lost its jaw-like shape and moved so that it covered his forehead. On the other hand, that hole was still in the same place as it had been before.

Reaching out, he slowly put his hand inside the hole, only to feel a strange weight on his hand. It felt like cool water, but there was no actual water there.

When Grimmjow grabbed his hand, he looked him in the face.

"What?" he whispered softly.

"Keep your hands out of there." The man said seriously, keeping his eyes closed as he did.

Ichigo blushed and decided to let his opinion be known. "Grimmjow, you're really cute in this form."

Said man's eyes shot open and he looked down at the boy. "What?!" he asked.

"I said you look really cute. You've got those really long, furry ears, and your hair is long, too. Plus your teeth are sharp and you have that tiny bit of fur around your eyes. You kind of look like a cat or something." The boy admitted, and smiled when he saw Grimmjow's cheeks turn pink.

"Keep your stupid comments to yourself."

"Grimmjow…"

"I just said-"

Moving forward, Ichigo gently pressed his lips against the man's, interrupting him from speaking any more.

He made sure to take hold of Grimmjow's hand so he couldn't stab him with it again.

Closing his eyes slowly, the boy remained in place, enjoying the blissful ecstasy he usually felt from kissing his now former captor.

Even though he was getting no response from Grimmjow, he felt content. Just being with him like this was more than enough satisfaction for him for now. And it helped him realize he really _did_ want to be with the man longer. Which is why somewhere in his heart, he started hoping they wouldn't just split up once they reached Seireitei and got his arm healed.

Pulling away slowly, he smiled at Grimmjow, who rolled his cerulean eyes in response.

"Why do you always do that? Let go of my hand before I choke you out with my tail." The armor-covered man said with an aggravated look on his face.

"Sorry… You're just… so kissable, Grimmjow. Stop pushing yourself away from people. You might just be able find happiness in something other than fighting."

"In your dreams."

"So, uh… I'm curious… why do you have a hole and skeletal mask?" Ichigo asked, moving his hand up to touch the bone-like mask on the other's forehead.

"That's none of your concern." The bluenette responded, and brushed the boy's hand off.

"… I guess not. You're the one who has to deal with it. I was just curious is all. It's not exactly normal."

"Fuck normal. And fuck this. I'm done lying around doing nothing. We should get on the move before the sun sets, or we're going to be scorpion food. I'm sure we're not the only creatures to have discovered this place." Grimmjow said, and then stood up as best he could. He was a little wobbly on his feet, and ended up falling forward onto his hand. It wasn't enough to support him, so he ended up belly down against the wet sand.

Ichigo got out of the water and helped Grimmjow sit up. "Your wounds are doing better." He said, and then looked down to where the man had stabbed him with his sharp nails. "Mine are too. My rib cage feels a lot better now. Maybe this oasis is special."

"The only special thing around here is you, Court-" Ichigo's eyebrows furrowed, stopping Grimmjow for a moment. "Kurosaki. Shit! You took the sting out of my comment by making me say your name."

"Well I'm glad for that." The boy said, before he pulled Grimmjow up onto his back piggyback style again.

"I can't stand you, you know that?"

"I know." Ichigo said with a smile that Grimmjow did not catch since he was behind him on his back. "Keep quiet while I climb these sand dunes. I don't have much energy, so I can't be distracted by your incessant criticisms and complaints."

"…Whatever." The larger man said, closing his eyes.

He could feel each step Kurosaki took as he climbed the steep hill of sand. With his unarmored chest pressed against the boy's back, he also felt his heart beating at a constant rate. It lulled him a bit, and he grew a little tired.

"Hey, Grimm."

"What?"

"I've been meaning to ask you… how old are you?" Ichigo asked, trying to make small talk. The complete silence as he climbed was not as pleasant as he expected it to be.

"Thought you didn't want me talking."

"I take it back. For now."

"I'm twenty-six."

"Really?"

"Yes. Why?" Grimmjow asked, growing sleepier and sleepier.

"No reason. But I didn't realize you were six years older than me. I guess you do look about that age."

"Yeah…"

"We're almost at the top."

"Mhmm…"

"Gr-Grimmjow?"

"…"

"Ah! Did you fall asleep?!"

"…"

"… Ugh… great… Now I have to listen to the nothingness of the desert while I look for a place for us to sleep tonight. I at least would rather hear you than hear nothing at all…" Ichigo said, whispering the last part.

When he felt something wrap around his waist, he immediately thought it was a snake and looked down.

To his surprise, it was Grimmjow's tail.

He had wrapped it around his waist twice.

The boy felt his cheeks growing increasingly warm, but he couldn't tell if it was from the hot desert sun beaming down on him, or if it was because of the tail wrapped trustingly around his waist.

* * *

"Tousen, just where are you going?" Gin asked, coming into the main hall of Los Noches palace.

"I'm going to take care of that pest Grimmjow, and then I'm going to do something about the Court Guard boy. They're both at fault for the loss of one of the Espada, so I only see it fit to punish them."

Gin grinned and leaned against one of the large stone columns lining the walls. "Did you not see the battle? It was Nnoitra who brought his own downfall upon himself. I agree, taking Grimmjow out seemed like a good idea, but he failed to do it. And what about Zaraki-taichou? _He_ was the one who actually killed Nnoitra? Shouldn't he be the person you target?"

"…I don't want to start a war with Seireitei."

"If you find the Kurosaki boy and kill him, I'm sure that would do the trick."

"No one will know since he is out in the desert. He'll wind up as food for the beasts out there once I take care of him. The captains in Seireitei will be none the wiser."

"Okay, so what about Grimmjow?"

"He's on my target list as well, if you didn't just hear me."

"Did Aizen-taichou not tell you to leave him alone? And did he also not say to stay out of the Espada's affairs? This may be exactly what he wanted to happen, you know. If you kill Grimmjow, or the boy, you may end up throwing a wrench into his plans."

"…" Tousen stood in place, holding on to his sword with a tight grip. He really did want to eradicate Grimmjow, but Ichimaru had a point. If he did something, even when Aizen had told him not to, it could very well have a longer lasting effect than what he would intend for it to. "Why are you being so obedient, Ichimaru? You're not the type to heed Aizen-sama's orders so dutifully." The man stated, turning to him even though he could not see him.

"Because I'm interested."

"You're 'interested'?" Tousen echoed.

"That's right. What purpose do Grimmjow and the Kurosaki boy serve to Aizen-taichou's plan? Why is he so insistent on keeping them alive when all they've done is cause havoc between Los Noches and Seireitei, putting his own welfare on the line in the process? Are they doing what he wants by leaving this place? Judging from his withstanding patience with them and the mess they've been making of things, I'd say they're both obviously key components in his plot to take this land from the High King, but I want to see just what he plans to do with them. So that's why I'm being so obedient. Only because he's managed to perk my curiosity with his secret plan."

"Why does that not surprise me?" the blind man asked sarcastically, then started walking back the way he came.

"Wait, I didn't say you couldn't kill Nelliel. She and Grimmjow's spirit animal will probably prove problematic if they're not dealt with now. If you hurry, you can catch up to them."

"I'm not interested in those two. What could they possibly do to ruin Aizen-sama's plans, anyway?"

"Oh, that's no fun! You only wanted to kill Grimmjow because he gets under your skin." Gin accused, and then caught up with the other man.

"That is not entirely true, but I will allow you to believe it."

"Well, in any case, we'll see how this unfolds eventually… I wonder if those kiddies will survive out in the desert…"

"Don't be ridiculous. If Grimmjow was good for anything, it was dragging bloody animal corpses into the palace like an untrained cat. He'll be fine out there surrounded by prey like the animal he is. The real question is how long will he be able to sneak around in Seireitei for?"

"How do you know that's where they're going?"

"Think before you speak, Ichimaru. Where else would Kurosaki Ichigo take Grimmjow?"

"Oh, you think he's going to take him to that princess?!"

"It seems likely. That's the best way to get him healed, don't you think? That ability of hers is indeed a divine one."

"Wouldn't you be mad about that? I mean, don't you want Grimmjow to die?"

"I get the feeling his time will come soon enough. It doesn't matter how healed he gets." Tousen said, and then started walking a little faster to get away from Gin.

"Hey! Stop being such a loner!" Gin's voice echoed as he hurried down the halls after his comrade.

* * *

With the moon shining high in the sky above him and a cold breeze blowing against him, Ichigo kept telling himself to persevere.

If he didn't, he would end up being eaten alive by some of the large coyotes he'd seen running off in the distance a while ago.

Up ahead was a multi-platform plateau, and he decided that would be where he and Grimmjow would sleep for the night. While he slept, he would be able to regenerate most of his Reiatsu, which would help him get back on track to Seireitei.

All he had to do was reach the plateau.

"Court Guard." He heard in his ear.

"What did we talk about, Grimmjow?"

"Tsk… Kurosaki."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"You'd better pick up the pace. There's a scorpion tailing you a ways back."

Ichigo turned around quickly and jumped when he saw that there was indeed a large scorpion following him. In the moonlight, the only thing he could make out was the crimson glow of its eyes. The rest of it was silhouetted, making it seem all the more eerie. As if being huge wasn't already bad enough.

"Shit! That's just my luck!" he cursed, and then started walking faster.

Grimmjow remained silent as the boy carried him over to the plateau, but when he stopped, he grew curious as to why he had when they were about to be lunch meat... or dinner, which seemed like the more appropriate label. "The hell did you stop for? Got a death wish?"

"If I try climbing with you on my back, we're as good as dead. So I'm about to use some of the Reiatsu I've been able to regenerate to jump up to the top of this plateau. The scorpion won't be able to reach us up there."

"Well you'd better hurrrryyyy. It's getting clooseer."

"I know! Stop making the situation worse!"

"It's picking up the paaace..." Grimmjow said.

"Shut up!"

"It's almost heeerre…"

"Grimm-"

"Jump you pussy!"

Ichigo quickly knelt down, nearly falling forward because of Grimmjow's heavy weight on him, and then shot high into the air.

He successfully landed on the top platform of the plateau, and then tossed Grimmjow off of him angrily. "YOU ARE AN ASSHOLE!" he shouted.

"Kehehehahahaha! You were so _scared_!" the man bellowed as he laughed hysterically.

Ichigo walked past him and looked over the side. On the ground below, the scorpion was waiting, looking up at him with its piercing eyes and snapping its pincers.

"I won't be able to sleep comfortably with that thing down there… The way it moves is so creepy…" he said, looking a little disturbed by it.

Grimmjow stood up and walked over to Ichigo, then leaned on him for support. "Are you hungry?" he asked.

"Well… yeah… very… Why-"

The man aimed the palm of his hand down at the beast, then fired a Cero through its thick shell. "That's why."

…

"… I would prefer this to have been roasted over a fire…" Ichigo said disappointedly, holding a piece of scorpion meat in his hand.

"Well we don't have any firewood, so get over it. Just be glad you're eating something. I didn't have to share with you."

"_I'm_ the one who went down to get it!"

"But _I_ killed it."

"Ugh!" After giving up and rolling his eyes, the orange-haired boy remembered something important. "Grimmjow!"

"What?" said man asked, aggressively ripping a piece of meat off the scorpion's claw with his teeth after he did.

"What about Pantera and Nel?!"

"What do you mean 'what about them'?"

"Do you think they'll make it to Seireitei? I mean… You killed this scorpion… but what about them? I don't take it either one of them can hunt…"

"Tsk. Pantera is a master at hunting, so they'll be fine. Stop worrying about every little thing."

"Their survival is not _little_! It's a very BIG thing!"

"Just like what you take up the ass, huh?"

Ichigo grew so red in the face he had to turn away. "You really are a jerk…"

"Well, consider yourself lucky for now. I can't fuck in this state." Grimmjow said, tossing the now meatless scorpion arm over the edge of the plateau and knocking against the armor covering his groin with his hand.

Ichigo turned back to Grimmjow. "Do you… do you still have a pe-"

"Of course I do, you dipshit! It's just covered up so it won't take any harm!"

"Oh…" the boy sat quiet for a moment, then decided to ask a question. "Grimmjow, you have reproductive organs, and you seem mostly human, so could you produce offspring if you wanted to?"

"Why are you asking me something like that? Do I look like I want a fucking kid?"

Looking down at the ground, Ichigo blushed. "I don't know. I was just curious…"

"Well don't be." The bluenette said, and then laid down on his back.

When the boy got up and came to sit down closer to him, he looked over at him questionably.

"Are you cold?" Ichigo asked.

"No. With my Hierro, I have a higher resistance to extreme temperatures. So unlike you, I'm doing just fine." Grimmjow responded, and then closed his eyes.

Ichigo laid down on his side and brought his knees up to his chest, then wrapped his arms around them in an effort to keep himself warm. This was definitely not how he was used to sleeping. Closing his eyes tight, he realized he probably wouldn't be getting any quality sleep tonight.

Opening his eyes and taking a glance up, he was reminded of just how star-filled the night sky was out in the desert, which made him smile a little. Though, the night sky seemed like the only pleasant thing the environment had to offer…

The sound of motion behind him caught his attention, and he wondered what Grimmjow was doing.

An arm unexpectedly came from behind and wrapped around him, then pulled him back. He turned to look over his shoulder at the man holding on to him. "What are you doing?" he asked, gazing into Grimmjow's cerulean eyes that were slightly glowing in the darkness of the night.

"Keeping you warm so you don't die, pansy. I need you if I'm gonna get my arm back, right?" the man answered, before wrapping his tail around Ichigo's waist and burying his nose into the nape of the boy's neck.

"R-right…" Ichigo said, feeling his body warming up and his penis growing stiff.

"Don't make any sudden movements or you'll probably be cut by the blades on my arm and legs."

"Okay."

Even though Ichigo didn't really want to admit it, being close with Grimmjow like this made him kind of happy.

After a while of lying in place, he heard Grimmjow start mumbling unintelligible things behind him, which let him know the man was asleep.

Looking up to the moon and hundreds of stars embellishing the sky, the boy found himself thinking about what everyone had been asking him or implying lately. He wasn't entirely sure if it was untrue, either.

What _did_ he feel for Grimmjow?

They hadn't really known each other that long, nor had they gotten along for most of the time they did. Attractiveness was nice, but it would be a terrible idea to form feelings for someone based on their appearances alone.

Still, the cerulean-haired man holding onto him was quite a sight. In his normal state, he had quite a nice complexion. Very tan skin. Bright blue eyes. Tall. Well built. He just had so much going for him. Even in this transformed state, he was still handsome. And something about his animal-like physique was even more interesting, especially those long ears.

"_Although they're not everything,_ _I can't pretend that looks don't mean anything at all…"_

His thoughts moved from Grimmjow's physical features to his personality. Other than being extremely pugnacious, he seemed otherwise uninterested in people. But perhaps there was a reason for that…

Remembering his words in the courtyard two nights ago, he decided that maybe his personality wasn't such an issue. After all, he did say he would change him someday.

Well, a better way of putting it would be 'opening him up'. It sounded more beautiful that way.

Finally, Ichigo thought about their current situation. It had torn him apart when he saw Grimmjow being tortured the way he had been by that Espada's follower, despite how much he _thought_ he despised him. And the thought of them splitting up when he got Inoue to heal his arm made him feel a bit unhappy as well. Even though he hated to admit it, Grimmjow had become a big part of his life in the short time they'd known each other. It was too soon for them to part ways.

With their closeness at the moment… he couldn't help but feel a warm tingle in his lower gut.

"_Grimmjow… I think… I think I…"_

For as much 'thinking' as he did about the subject, Ichigo eventually fell asleep with a smile on his face.

**Please take the time to review this chappie everyone. That includes lurkers, shy readers, and faithful reviewers. Your input is very important to me.**


	22. spotlight

spotlight

The next day just before noon.

"RUKIAAAAAAAAAA!" Renji shouted exuberantly as he tore through the breezeways of the Thirteenth Division.

To anyone who saw him running by, they would probably say he looked utterly ridiculous with that gigantic smile and excited look plastered on his face.

In his office, Captain Ukitake heard the lieutenant coming about two minutes before he even arrived. "Abarai-kun?" he said.

"Don't worry, Taicho! I will take care of Abarai-fukutaicho!" Sentarō, who held the third seat of the Thirteenth Division, said confidently, coming into the office and bowing to his captain.

"Like I'll allow you to do that!" Kiyone, a petite girl who shared the third seat with Sentarō, said as she ran into the office.

"It's not about what _you'll_ let me do!"

"Oh yeah?! Well we'll see who gets to Abarai-fukutaicho first!"

Ukitake sweat dropped at his subordinates. "Eh… now, now… you two don't need to-"

"The captain wants _me_ to do it!" Sentarō exclaimed, before dashing to the door.

He was so hasty that he ran right into Renji, causing them both to fall back onto their rear ends.

"Agh! Watch where you're going, Sentarō!" Renji shouted as he rubbed his aching forehead soothingly.

"That's my line!" said man retorted.

Kiyone started giggling and pointed at Sentarō. "Serves you right for trying to steal my thunder." She said.

"You stay out of this-"

"OH! While you sit there and argue with Abarai-fukutaicho, I'm going to go get the captain some tea! Please excuse me, Ukitake-taicho!" the tiny girl said, and then hurried out of the office.

"Hey! We agreed to do rock-paper-scissors for that!" Sentarō shouted as he jumped up and ran after Kiyone.

Renji, now a little confused and still feeling a pain in his head from where he collided with Sentarō, stood up and dusted himself off.

"What did you need, Abarai-fukutaichou?" Ukitake asked with a smile. "You seemed to be looking for Rukia, right?"

"Oh, yes! Is she here today?!" the redhead asked.

The white-haired man shook his head. "No, she has the next few days off actually. I'm surprised you didn't know…"

"All right! Thanks, Ukitake-taicho! And don't spend too much time in the sun!" Renji said. With a respectful bow, he dashed out of the office and headed towards the Kuchiki mansion.

…

"RUKIAAAAA!"

Said girl lowered her wooden training sword and turned around. "Renji?" she said, standing still in the garden of her mansion to make sure she wasn't hearing things.

Renji ran down the halls of the Kuchiki house excitedly as he continued looking for his companion, then came to a stop when he saw her in the garden.

"Rukia!"

"Renji? What are you doing here? *Gasp* Are you shirking your duties?! Nii-sama would be very-"

"No, no! Kuchiki-taicho let me come find you to tell you the big news!"

"News? What news?"

Stepping out into the open garden, Renji took a seat in the grass and flashed a bright smile. "Zaraki-taicho got back a few hours ago!"

"So what? All of the captains have been returning. Well, except for Soi-Fon-taicho… She did just leave two days ago…"

"I know, but he said that he ran into someone who saved Ichigo from an Espada!"

Rukia's violet eyes went wide. "What?!"

"It's fine! It's fine! Ichigo is apparently on his way home right now!"

"I'm really glad to hear that… but… was he _really_ attacked by an Espada…? Are they _trying_ to start something with this kingdom…?" the girl replied, and then took a seat in the grass in front of the redhead.

"Well, the Espada who attacked him is dead now. Zaraki-taicho took care of him because he threatened to find Ichigo and kill him."

"Really?! Was it… was it that one who invaded and took Ichigo a few days ago?"

Renji folded his arms and closed his eyes. "That I don't know. I couldn't get too many details about it because I was just passing when I heard all of this. All I _do_ know is that Ichigo is safe."

"Hmm… For now, I guess we can just be glad that he's coming home." The raven-haired girl said, putting all of the Espada out if her mind so she could do just that.

"Yeah. I wonder when he'll get here…" Looking up to the sky, Renji smiled. Ichigo sure was a lucky guy to survive so many Espada attacks and continuously come home to talk about it.

"So… I'm still the one to tell him, right?" Rukia asked.

"Yeah. You know I'm not as sensitive about that kind of thing. I'd probably end up saying it in the middle of a joke or something."

Rukia smiled and shook her head. "That's true… Don't worry, I'm fully capable of doing it."

* * *

"Hey, Grimmjow?" Ichigo called over his shoulder to the man on his back as he Flash Stepped across the desert sands.

"What?"

"Are you feeling any better? How's that wound doing?"

"It's still healing. That bastard Tesla severed the muscles on the left side of my chest when he cut into it, so it's taking a while."

"A while" was an understatement. It had been a whole day now since they'd reached that oasis.

After resting and then waking up the next morning, Ichigo picked Grimmjow up on his back again and continued on his way to Seireitei. Luckily for him, his Reiatsu had mostly returned, so he found his way back to the road that would lead him home with ease.

Surprisingly enough, when he'd fled from Nel and Nnoitra's battle, he had gone in a northwestern direction, which was how he reached that oasis. To get back on track, all he did was headed south and found the road again.

Moving through the desert was a whole lot easier while Flash Stepping. And it certainly wasn't as hot now thanks to all the wind whipping past him. Interestingly enough, Grimmjow's tail was wrapped around his waist again. This time, he seemed to have consciously done it to keep it from blowing in the wind as they traveled.

With his enhanced speed, Ichigo surmised he would reach Seireitei by nightfall. That was perfect because he didn't really want anyone to see him carrying an armor-covered Arrancar on his back.

And he was correct in his prediction.

Just as the sky darkened, with a faint, warm glow on the horizon that made the land seem darker than usual, he came into the grasslands that surrounded his kingdom.

It was then that he stopped for a moment.

"What are you doing?" Grimmjow asked.

"I'm trying to remember something. Please keep quiet." Ichigo responded, and then closed his eyes.

He was no fool. It was obvious that Grimmjow was wanted in Seireitei after what he and his men had done. He also knew he couldn't just walk through the front gates with him on his back. That was the surest way to get him caught. So he was trying to recall… something he'd long since forgotten. A secret entrance in the wall that Urahara used when traveling so he wouldn't have to let the old man know when he was leaving.

Grimmjow's eyes went wide when Ichigo abandoned the road and started running through the grass parallel to the kingdom gates a few yards away from them.

"What the hell are you-"

"Please. I asked you to keep quiet, Grimmjow. We need to move quickly or the tower guards will see us." The boy interrupted.

He was somewhat thankful that the grass was a bit taller than usual because that made it harder for them to be detected.

When he reached the secret entrance, marked by a slightly darker brick than the others, he came to a stop and smiled. He honestly thought he would've been caught.

Putting his hand on the brick, he applied some Reiatsu to it and pushed it in.

Grimmjow watched as some of the bricks in the wall started turning to reveal a short tunnel that led into the kingdom.

Ichigo turned and looked over his shoulder. "In case you're wondering, this passage only works for certain people. You couldn't sneak inside on your own if you tried."

"Tch, whatever."

Turning back to the dark tunnel, Ichigo started walking through it._ "I'll need to suppress my Reiatsu so no one inside will be able to detect me… at least… until I reach Inoue's place." _He thought cautiously. At least then, he could hide Grimmjow if anyone showed up.

Just before he walked out of the tunnel, he squinted and ran up beside the wall to his left. Leaning against it, he stuck his head out of the tunnel and looked to his left. There was no one in sight for as far as he could see on the backstreet. Then he turned his head to the right and found it to be just as empty as the left.

"_I hope Inoue is awake."_ He thought as he warily crept out of the tunnel.

Grimmjow adjusted his ears when he heard something. It sounded like… a small group of people approaching…

The instant Ichigo was fully out in the street, a near blindingly bright light shined down on him.

Freezing on the spot, he raised his hand over his eyes and looked up to see that the light was coming from the top of one of the watchtowers on the kingdom gate.

Looking back down, he sweated a bit from nervousness. "What's going on?" he asked quietly, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the brightness of the light.

"Ichigo." A familiar voice called.

Said boy turned his attention up to the rooftops. "Y-you all…" he said disbelievingly.

"It's about time you got here." Kenpachi said, sitting atop a building with his fist against his cheek and wearing a bored expression on his face.

"We thought you'd get here around this time!" Yachiru said, coming out from Kenpachi's haori.

Along with those two, captain Hitsugaya and his lieutenant Rangiku, and captains Kurotsuchi and Unohana were all staring down at Ichigo as he stood under the spotlight.

"And you even brought that Espada who caused such an uproar between the kingdoms." Hitsugaya said.

"Oh my, is he human?" Rangiku asked as she observed Grimmjow's Ressurrected state. "Doesn't look like it…"

"That's what I'm going to find out!" Kurotsuchi said eagerly, and then jumped off of the rooftop, landing a few feet in front of Ichigo. "Forced to come out here myself to get my own specimen because Nemu can't do ten things at once and because everyone else claimed it was 'time to go home.' I swear good help is hard to find these days!" He complained as he dusted himself off.

Nervously, the orange-haired boy took a step back when the scientist approached him. He gripped the underside of Grimmjow's armored thighs and felt himself growing hot from anxiety. "What are you all doing here?" he asked, trying to prolong what he already knew was coming.

Kurotsuchi stopped in his tracks and gave an almost blank look. "Why… we came to welcome you home, of course!"

"He wouldn't believe that coming from you for a second and you know it!" Rangiku said, and then jumped down to the ground in front of Kurotsuchi. "Ichigo, _we_ have been worried about you. Kurotsuchi-taicho only wants to take that Espada-"

"Keep your nose out of this!" the black-and-white-skinned man interrupted and pointed at the woman agitatedly, before turning back to Ichigo.

"How did you all know I was back? No… you were expecting me so that's the wrong question to ask. How did you all know where I was coming in from?" the boy continued, buying more useless time.

"That creature on your back is emitting a massive Reiatsu. Don't tell me you're slower than that Ishida friend of yours." Kurotsuchi answered.

Ichigo's eyes went wide when those words reached his ears. He should have gotten Grimmjow to completely suppress his Reiatsu when they got near the kingdom! How could he have been so careless?! It was like telling everyone that he had arrived with public enemy number one!

Growing very irritated with the back and forth going on on the ground below, Kenpachi jumped over everyone's heads with his lieutenant on his back. After he hit the ground, he scratched his head. "Ichigo, regardless of what you're feeling right now, you need to hand over that Espada to-"

"He's not an Espada anymore, Ken-chan." Yachiru interrupted.

"Oh, that's right. Well, you need to hand over this big guy so we can deal with him." The spike-haired man said seriously.

Grimmjow realized the moment they had been spotted that he would have to fight. It only grew more obvious with each thing that was said. The deal between him and Kurosaki was obviously off, _if_ it had ever _really_ been on in the first place.

Thinking fast, he lifted his arm and slammed his elbow against the back of Ichigo's head, successfully loosening the grip on him and thus freeing himself.

Everyone on the ground was surprised by this and quickly drew their swords.

Growling low in his throat at the people surrounding him, Grimmjow looked at Ichigo, who turned around to face him with his hand on the back of his head.

"Grimm-!"

"I'LL TAKE YOU ALL ON!" the bluenette exclaimed, and then flashed his sharp teeth viciously.

As soon as he got ready to attack, his armor started glowing light blue all over and his eyes grew wide.

When Grimmjow's armor fled and then formed his sword, returning him to his normal state, Ichigo grimaced and made to go over to him. However, he was stopped by Rangiku, who grabbed him in a bear hug from behind.

"What are you doing, Rangiku?!" he shouted.

The icy-eyed woman held Ichigo in place as she observed Grimmjow's normal state. "Much more attractive." She said, disregarding the boy who was effortlessly trying to get out of her grasp.

The moment Grimmjow took the hilt of his sword into his hand, Kenpachi rushed him, punching him in the back of the head, which sent him flying face first onto the ground.

Yachiru jumped off of the large man's shoulder and landed on Grimmjow's back. "Sorry, I know it's hard to part like this, but we have to confiscate your Zanpakutō." She said, then reached down and picked up the sword.

Kenpachi walked over and lifted Grimmjow up by his arm.

"Grimmjow!" Ichigo called, still struggling to get free from Rangiku's hug.

"Are you gonna come with us nice and easy, or will you make this hard on yourself?" Kenpachi asked, pulling the Arrancar in his grasp closer.

Grimmjow breathed in and out heavily for a moment, then slammed his forehead against Kenpachi's. His cerulean eyes widened when it didn't work. But not only did it not work, the eye patch wearing brute was grinning as blood trickled down his nose.

"Ken-chan…" Yachiru said.

Ichigo watched helplessly as Kenpachi returned the headbutt, causing Grimmjow's entire body to flinch before he went completely limp. "Grimmjow…" he muttered, nearly shedding a tear for the man.

"Oh, he's so tough!" Rangiku admitted when she saw that the Arrancar had not lost consciousness. "A headbutt from Zaraki-taicho is rumored to be as strong as a freight train. Most people wake up nothing short of a week after it happens."

"Enough babbling. Shall we bring him in?" Hitsugaya asked, jumping to the ground with his arms folded. He was not in the mood to be here any longer than he had to be. There was a significant amount of paperwork to be done since Rangiku had somehow "missed" a few boxes of files that were left by her door.

"Be more delicate with him!" Kurotsuchi objected as Kenpachi lifted Grimmjow off his feet by his neck to put a Reiatsu restraining charm on his chest.

He hurried over and started poking and prodding at his hole and body.

"Oh my. Such sturdiness! Such resilience! What a mystery you are, dear boy! And a former Espada at that! I'll even experiment on your bones when you die! You'll be one of my greatest subjects! Consider it an honor!" the scientist eagerly exclaimed as he observed Grimmjow's body closer.

"There won't be much research you can do with him in a while." Kenpachi commented. Looking Grimmjow in the eyes, he smirked. "Guess you're not as lucky as I thought. If you had stayed away from this place, you would have probably survived. Heck, if you hadn't attacked us a few days ago, we probably would have let you walk in through the front gates and treated your wounds! But your luck has run out, unfortunately. I was rooting for you when I heard Ichigo saved you."

"Ken-chan's really not a bad guy!" Yachiru said, still holding on to Grimmjow's Zanpakutō. "We were really hoping you'd survive! But you made the mistake to attack us, so we can't do anything but turn you in now."

When Grimmjow's bright eyes flashed down to the little girl holding his weapon, Kenpachi shook his head. "Don't even think about it. You hurt one pink hair on her head and I'll end you right here."

"Then get the child out of the way!" Kurotsuchi shouted, not too pleased at the thought of losing a valuable research experiment.

"We're taking him to the dungeons, right?" Kenpachi asked.

"Mhmm!" Yachiru replied, and then started walking off towards Seireitei headquarters.

As Grimmjow was carried off with Kenpachi, Yachiru, and Kurotsuchi, Ichigo closed his eyes and a pained expression found its way to his face.

"Sorry about restraining you." Rangiku said. "But if you had interfered with us detaining him, we would have had to put you in jail as well. You should go home and forget about that man. Your sisters and father are there waiting for you."

Unohana jumped to the ground and smiled at Rangiku. "Matsumoto-fukutaicho, you can release Kurosaki-san now. I will see to his wounds, if any."

"Sure." Rangiku immediately released Ichigo, not wanting to be intimidated by Unohana's infamous insistent face and tone, causing the boy to fall to his knees in between the two women.

"Let's get back to the office, Matsumoto. We've got a lot of paperwork to do." Hitsugaya said, and then turned around to follow after Kenpachi.

"UGH, I thought you said I could go home after this!" the honey-blonde complained as she did the same.

Unohana stood over Ichigo and watched as he balled his hands up into fists. She couldn't see his face because he was bent forward, but she imagined he was pained at the thought of losing that Arrancar… which didn't exactly make sense to her until she thought of the reason why…

"Kurosaki-san? Are you injured?"

Ichigo did not respond.

"Let me rephrase that. Are you injured anywhere that my Kido can heal?" the raven-haired woman asked.

"…No… I'm… I don't think you need to trouble yourself with healing me, Unohana-san."

"Kurosaki-san, I suggest you go home and get some rest. Go see your family, I'm sure they're eagerly awaiting your return. And please…"

The orange-haired boy slowly looked up to Unohana, whose front was completely shadowed by the spotlight above her. It made her seem like a completely different person, far more intimidating than usual.

"Please do not do anything that will result in your death when you depart..." Without another word, Unohana started walking, leaving Ichigo to ponder what she just told him. Chancing a glance over her shoulder when she got a few feet away, she saw that the boy was hunched over again and surrounded by the light shining from the tower above. "I've seen that look before… I know it means, and I know it can make you do foolish things and take chances you normally never would." She said under her breath, before continuing on her way back to Seireitei headquarters.

**Thanks for all the feedback on last chapter. Please submit a review for this one, and see you all next chapter!**


	23. captain yamamoto's decision!

**A/N: **Enjoy the chapter! And please submit a review!

captain yamamoto's decision!

Waking up the next morning to his room at home, which was denied the light of day because of the thick curtains covering his window, Ichigo could do nothing but sulk in bed.

The reason for that was because everything was going wrong.

And 'everything' meant _everything_.

The fact that there was an ever-growing feeling of unrest and distrust rising between Seireitei and Los Noches was definitely one of the things that were troubling to him. Though that was something he guessed even before he'd come back home. But that was simply one of the reasons he was in such a depressed mood.

Another reason he was upset was because Nel and Pantera had yet to show up like they promised… Though, he hadn't expected to see them the very moment he entered Seireitei, so he tried to at least stay positive and started hoping they would show up within the next few days.

Of course, he was upset about last night when Grimmjow was taken from him by Captains Kenpachi and Kurotsuchi. Yachiru had said they were taking him to the dungeons, which were just beneath the main courthouse towards the center of the kingdom.

Who knew what they were doing to him down there…? Especially Captain Kurotsuchi, who treated him like nothing more than a lab rat…

But Grimmjow was _not_ some research subject, and the thought of him being treated as one made the boy grit his teeth discontentedly.

And just what would the higher-ups do with him anyway? The captains having taken him into custody meant his fate would be decided… probably today.

"_Grimmjow… what are you thinking right now?"_ he wondered. That look he had on his face as he was carried off by Kenpachi was just… so full of confusion and frustration. If that look was what he was going by, then it couldn't have been anything pleasant.

"I should have stopped them. I should have said something. But… Why didn't I? …Why _couldn't_ I?!"

It was definitely strange.

Ichigo was not one to go along with the others' opinions just because they were higher in rank than he was. But… perhaps it went deeper than just rank. Maybe he'd remained fairly silent in Rangiku's hold because he didn't want to betray his home by defending an enemy. His friends and family were here... Wouldn't defending Grimmjow, someone who almost proudly showed his lack of care for Seireitei, be the same betraying all of them?

A better question he thought of was what could he have done for Grimmjow if they were both taken to prison?

The answer was simple.

There would have been _nothing_ he could have done if he'd been taken away as well. Nothing at all.

Arguing Grimmjow's case to the captains would have probably been considered a moment of emotional irrationality on his end since Kenpachi seemed to know about his concern for Grimmjow with his 'regardless of what you're feeling right now' quote. Overall, it would have been a meaningless effort. After all, Grimmjow had attacked the kingdom just a few days ago. That, Ichigo had witnessed first-hand. He was not foolish enough to think they'd fall for anything he could have said when he _fought_ Grimmjow one-on-one and was kidnapped by him after losing to him. He admitted to himself that there was absolutely nothing he could have done to have saved him from the confines of the underground dungeons of Seireitei, which made him feel so useless.

But… in spite of all of that… in spite of everything, he knew he would need to do something to help his former captor, and soon.

During his travels with Grimmjow, he'd really grown to care deeply for the man. So letting him rot in prison was not exactly on his to-do list.

"I'll have to find another way to help him out of this mess… Arguing for him won't get me anywhere, and I can't take on all the captains if I tried breaking him out… We'd probably both be put down on the spot. And I… I'm not ready to die just yet. But there has to be a way to go about saving him. I just need the right opportunity." He said quietly, and then turned.

Lying quietly on his side, he remembered the last thing that had been troubling him.

On top of the unrest between the two kingdoms, Nel and Pantera's unknown location, and Grimmjow's capture, what also worried the boy incredibly was Inoue.

After Grimmjow had been taken from him last night, he stopped by her apartment on his way home to check on her and talk to her about all of this, but she wasn't there. After doing a thorough search for her Reiatsu, Ichigo had found that she was nowhere in the kingdom… unless she was masking her energy. But Inoue doing something like that didn't make any sense at all. She was the kind of person who _always_ wanted people to know where she was because they'd know she could heal them if they needed it.

Pulling the sheets up to cover everything but his brown eyes, the orange-haired boy started biting on his thumb nail. All of this was so… wrong.

"Ichigooooo!" a familiar voice called from inside the closet.

Said boy quickly pulled the covers completely over his head and closed his eyes. He was not in the mood to talk to Kon.

The stuffed plushie pulled the closet door open, and then jumped down from the shelf he'd slept on… and also hid from Yuzu on for the past few days…

"Ichigo! What are you doing still in bed!?" he asked after he looked at the clock on the boy's desk. "You're usually up and about around this time!"

"Please… not now, Kon."

"And why not!?"

Ichigo pulled his cover back so he could look the plushie in the face. "I don't feel like being bothered."

Kon folded his arms and started walking over to the bed. After jumping up onto it, he looked at Ichigo for a second.

Ichigo's eyes went wide when the stuffed animal walked over to the window and pulled the curtains back, revealing the light of day to the entire room. He quickly closed his eyes, pulled the sheets over his head, and curled up into a ball. "Damnit, Kon! I swear I'm going to give you to Yuzu one of these days!"

With his mouth wide open in horror, Kon jumped on top of Ichigo. "You're so HEARTLESS! You're the worst kind of owner I could ever have, Ichigo! What did a poor soul like me ever do to be given to someone as cruel as you?!"

"It'll be ten times worse if I give you to Yuzu! She'll pay attention to you, and you won't even be able to run away!"

"Ichigo, I swear-"

A knocking at the door stopped Kon in the middle of his sentence.

Ichigo pulled the covers back and sat up, revealing his bare torso. "I'm not eating breakfast today, Yuzu." He called.

The doorknob turned and the door opened, revealing Rukia, who was dressed casually.

"R-Rukia?"

"Good morning, Ichigo." The girl said. Stepping inside the room, she flipped the light on before walking over to Ichigo's desk.

"What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked, and then blushed when he realized he was only in his underwear.

Rukia rolled her eyes, before taking a seat at the desk. "You don't need to get all nervous, Ichigo. I'm not interested in you like that and you know it."

"Yeah, but still-"

"Anyway, I'm glad you're back. And I'm really glad you're not hurt."

Ichigo's expression changed from one of embarrassment to a downcast one. "Right. Thanks…"

"Rukiaaaaaa!" Kon shouted happily, and then jumped off the bed to greet her.

Sliding out of the way of the stuffed animal that was coming towards her, Rukia looked back at Ichigo. "I heard you brought in that Espada who attacked us a few days ago. How'd you manage to beat him?"

"I… That's… not important…" the boy responded.

Rukia looked him over and realized he wasn't too happy about his accomplishment. "I can tell you're not in the best of moods. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine…"

"I don't believe that, but I won't pry. You'll tell me what's wrong eventually."

"…"

"So hey… Um, what did that Arrancar want with you, anyway? The way he fought so desperately while he was here, and how he brought a small fleet along, says he probably wanted something from you."

"…"

"Ichigo?"

"…" said boy closed his eyes and turned away.

"I guess it's too early to talk about it all, huh? You can tell me when you're ready."

"Hey… Rukia?"

"What is it?"

Ichigo opened his eyes and looked back to the girl. "Have you seen Inoue around? I couldn't sense her Reiatsu anywhere."

Rukia looked down at her hands, feeling herself warming up from what Ichigo had just asked her. "That's actually what I came to talk to you about… I was hesitant at first, because you seem a little down already-"

"I told you I'm fine."

Squinting at Ichigo's interruption, the girl cleared her throat before she continued. "As I was saying… I'm… I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this…" she paused for a moment and considered what Renji or Senna telling him would be like, "Actually, I take that back. You need to hear this, and apparently I'm the best person to tell you."

"Tell me what?" Ichigo asked with an eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Inoue is no longer in the kingdom. She's gone to stay with the King for a while… It was a precaution the Head Captain took for the safety of Seireitei and everyone in it. Plus Inoue's, of course."

At hearing that, Ichigo's brown eyes grew wide and his eyebrows knitted down. "Wh-what?! What does that mean?!"

"Well, after she was taken captive by that Espada, it was feared that Aizen wanted her powers. The Head Captain wanted to prevent him from getting his hands on her abilities at all costs, so he-"

"That's not fair… It's not fair! Why should Inoue have to be moved like that?! Forced out of the kingdom because of her powers?! That's… that's complete bullshit!"

"Ichigo…" Rukia muttered, not believing what she had just heard the boy say.

"Ichigo has a soft spot for Orihime. What do you expect?" Kon said while picking himself up off the floor.

He jumped when the orange-haired boy glared down at him. It was apparently not the right time to be teasing him about Orihime.

"Ichigo, I know it's tough for you to hear. And I know it wasn't fair to just move Inoue the way he did, but the Head Captain had everyone's safety-."

"I know what you're going to say, Rukia. You don't need to say it, though."

"…"

Ichigo felt even worse now than he did when he first woke up.

Inoue was gone?

Not only did that upset him, but the thought of what he'd told Grimmjow made it so much harder to take. How could he get his arm healed now? When Inoue was far out of his reach and when Grimmjow was probably never going to see the light of day again, how could he possibly keep his word?

"_Crap… Grimmjow… this must all seem like one big trap to you, huh?"_

When Ichigo got out of bed and then put on some casual clothes, Rukia sighed. From the look on his face and the silence he had taken on, she knew he wasn't taking this news well.

"Rukia…" Ichigo called, after walking over to his bedroom door.

"Yeah?"

"I need to be alone for a while. I'm going out for a bit, so please don't follow me. Can you pass that message on to the others for me?"

"S-sure."

"Thank you. See ya later." The boy said, and then left his room.

The whole time he'd spoken to her, Rukia noticed, he hadn't once turned to look her in the face.

"Ichigo… I know it's hard, but feel better." She said quietly.

* * *

"I say we put him to death on the spot. Nothing good will come of keeping that man locked up any longer." Captain Kyōraku said, breaking the silence in the meeting room.

All the other captains, with the exception of Soi-Fon, were deliberating on what to do with the Arrancar being held in the dungeons beneath the main courthouse.

Kurotsuchi squinted and turned to Kyōraku. "How dare you! Do you know what a rare opportunity this is for me!? Examining a man who is an Arrancar _and_ who previously held the title of an Espada isn't something I get the chance to do very often! We don't even fully know what an Arrancar is! They're inventions that Aizen came up with from origin's unknown! The subject you want to put to death could very well be the key to solving the longstanding mystery of Aizen's research while he was a captain here!"

"With all due respect, Kurotsuchi-taicho…" Unohana began, "He may very well be an Arrancar, but please don't forget he is part human as well. He is alive, just as you and I are. Please treat him as such."

"Goodness gracious! It seems none of you understand the gravity of this opportunity! If I can come to understand what an Espada is and perhaps figure out their strengths and weaknesses, then we will be able to properly defend ourselves against Aizen should he choose to attack us with them." The scientist said, and then turned to the Head Captain. "I need time to examine him properly!"

"Who says he'll go along with your research so easily?" Kenpachi asked. "You expect him to just offer himself to you for the greater good or something?"

"It doesn't matter what he wants! He's been completely restrained in his cell, so his objections mean nothing! I have Nemu conducting some tests on him and taking DNA samples while I stand here and argue with you people who don't seem to grasp the rarity of this capture. Though I did tell her not to punish him for any misbehavior... I want to save that part for my own entertainment!"

"I agree with Unohana-taicho." Komamura said. "Just because he is different doesn't mean you can treat him like a lab rat."

Ukitake decided to join in as well. "Please show him, in what may be his last moments in this life, that we of Seireitei are a kind and compassionate lot." He said to the obscure scientist.

Kurotsuchi had to keep himself from losing his temper for a moment. "You people-!"

Yamamoto banged his sword-concealing cane on the wooden floor, drawing the eyes of everyone in the room. "Before I make my final decision, we will speak with a representative from Los Noches." He said.

"A representative?" Komamura asked.

"Is Aizen not in?" Kenpachi added.

Hitsugaya stood silent with his arms folded and his eyes closed. He was somewhat glad to not have to look at Aizen's treacherous face.

"That's right. Apparently Aizen has already departed from Los Noches. So we will speak with someone who said he was left with the negotiation responsibilities. And that will weigh in on my decision concerning the soldier in our hold." Yamamoto answered, and then turned around to the large screen on the wall at the head of the meeting room.

The screen flashed a few times, and then it came on, revealing the appointed representative.

Everyone's eyes went wide, especially Komamura's, when Tousen appeared on the screen. He was standing in front of the camera with a blank look on his face.

"Greetings, Seireitei captains."

"Former Captain Tousen." Yamamoto acknowledged.

"You called me earlier, much to my surprise, to tell me about the man you've captured. I must say I am… utterly unmoved emotionally from hearing that."

"It is no secret that our kingdoms are no longer on speaking terms. But as we are not simple murderers, we wanted to hear anything you may have to say about your soldier." The old, bearded man continued.

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaques?"

"Oh boy…" Gin said, as he came in front of the camera beside Tousen.

"Ichimaru, what are you-"

"Hey there, captains! Hope you guys aren't still being overworked and underpaid, heh." The silver-haired man addressed, and then waved to the group.

"You shouldn't be here." Tousen commented.

"I wanna hear about this too!"

"Can we get back to the matter at hand?" Kyōraku asked.

Tousen turned from Gin and faced the camera. "The matter of Grimmjow Jaegerjaques?"

"Yes, what say you to argue his case? Though, no matter what you say, his fate at our hands is still sealed." Yamamoto replied.

"Kill him. It matters not to me, nor does it matter to Los Noches."

"Hey, Tousen!" Gin said, slightly shocked at the man's response. "Aizen-taicho wants Grimmjow-"

"I am not interfering with the Espada, nor am I putting an end to his life by my own hands. Actually, by giving them the jurisdiction to deal with Grimmjow, I am not going against Aizen-sama's orders. After becoming a wanted man in Seireitei, for his own reckless actions, his fate was sealed the moment he stepped foot into their kingdom." The dark-skinned man said seriously. "You all may do whatever you want with him. He is no longer our issue."

"And you're sure about this?" Kenpachi asked.

"Captain Zaraki." Tousen said. "You actually took out one of our Espada. While I do not support what you've done, I understand that he broke the already shattered treaty between our kingdoms… You were in the right and you all have been since the treaty was signed. In fact, by giving you all the man you wanted us to execute, I propose this."

"Tousen…" Gin muttered.

"Execute the traitor Grimmjow Jaegerjaques. Once you've done the deed, I hope we can reinstate our treaty and coexist peacefully once again. Let his death be proof of our loyalty to one another. He is in your hands now."

"Why does everyone want to sentence my guinea pig to death?!" Kurotsuchi asked with an irritated expression on his face.

"Guinea pig?" Tousen asked, and then smiled. Though he would never say it out loud, he was extremely pleased that Grimmjow's last days would be filled with the humiliation of being a lab rat for the twisted scientist.

"Head Captain, have you come to a decision?" Unohana asked.

"Indeed." Yamamoto answered. The room fell silent as everyone waited for him to verbalize his decision. "After taking into consideration Los Noches's stance on the matter, and factoring in the possibility of our own gain from Captain Kurotsuchi's research, I've decided that the Arrancar will be executed! However, it will be postponed until Thaardas* afternoon, two days from now!"

* * *

*Thaardas - Earthia's Thursday.

**As always, thanks for feedback on previous chapters. Your opinions, whether you think they're big or small, really do make a difference.**


	24. ichigo's secret confession

**Read and Review!**

ichigo's secret confession

One day after Head Captain Yamamoto's decision. The time of day: late noon.

With a skyward palm, Ichigo laid in the soft grass on a hill near the lake at the western end of Seireitei, thinking about Grimmjow.

As his hand was pointed at the sky, the boy couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to actually touch it. Or to touch a cloud. Or even… to touch Grimmjow just one more time… Any of those options were magical, if somewhat far-fetched, but the last seemed like the most plausible since getting into the dungeons probably wasn't that difficult a task.

Looking at his fingertips, Ichigo tried recalling how many times he had touched Grimmjow since their first meeting in Los Noches. How many times had they had sex since that day? How many times had he gazed into those beautiful cerulean eyes and saw them in his daydreams? How many times had that rare, stupid smile of his found its way to his thoughts and made itself at home there?

"I find it strange that I'm thinking of things like that." He said to himself, knowing there was no one else around but the few fishermen spread about at the bottom of the hill.

"_Do you love Grimmjow?"_

Pantera's question had been echoing in his head for a while now. And for a second, he wondered just where the inquisitive panther was with Nel.

He brought his hand down and rested it on his stomach, then felt as it moved up and down each time he inhaled and exhaled. Somewhere inside him was Grimmjow's Reiatsu, and he had the strangest feeling that it had decided to make its home in his lower abdomen to mingle with his own. He wasn't entirely sure why, but he just had a feeling that's where it was.

Getting back to Pantera's question...

He wasn't sure if he loved Grimmjow, though it wasn't _impossible_ for those feelings to be there. He cared about the man's well being even more than his own, that was for sure.

At first, he figured he could talk to Zangetsu about this, but he ultimately decided against it. After all, the old man would probably say something meaningful for him to ponder, which would only make him even more confused than he already was.

There were actually plenty of people he could talk to about this, like Unohana, Yumichika, Rukia, Senna, Karin, Yuzu, Tatsuki, or Inoue…

His brown eyes closed and his face showed his depression about the thought of his bubbly friend.

"Inoue…" he whispered.

There was no way he could just ignore the fact that she was sent away to the high palace. And there was little chance that he could sit quietly to wait for her to return while he tried to live a normal life, as if nothing ever happened.

"_You'll always have a place to come home to."_ He thought seriously, while taking a look around at the kingdom a ways off in the distance.

After thinking that and taking what happened that day she was taken hostage into consideration, he realized that Inoue was no longer home because of Grimmjow. If he hadn't taken her when he attacked, then she would certainly be here right now.

But he didn't want to put the blame on Grimmjow entirely. He had been somewhat pleased to be in the man's presence again when he woke up his quarters at Los Noches palace. Somewhat. And if he was totally honest with himself, when Grimmjow said he wanted him to come back, he wanted to _go_ back.

Something Ichigo seriously started considering was whether Grimmjow really deserve to be put to death for attacking Seireitei. He hadn't actually killed anyone. _"In fact, all he wanted was me…"_

The boy closed his eyes tight when he recalled all the things he'd said to Grimmjow when he had been kidnapped by him the first time. Malicious things, like how he would be put to death for his actions. It pained him to think about Yamamoto's decision to have Grimmjow executed tomorrow, and he regretted ever saying the things he did to the man all that time ago. Now he didn't want Grimmjow to be killed. All the hatred he'd thrown at him in the beginning was because he thought Grimmjow had killed Renji and Rukia. But the two of them were still alive and well, so those feelings subsided long, long ago.

Sitting up and looking down to the vast blue lake before him, he was reminded of that oasis out in the desert where he and Grimmjow had connected on some level. When he thought about that and all of their other desert experiences, he realized they were more than just enemies now.

They had become, in his honest opinion, friends. Or frienemies.

And Ichigo was not one to sit idly by and let someone he considered a friend be killed for meager charges, or for any reason really.

After dusting his pants and white t-shirt off, the boy stood up and decided he was going to the dungeons to see Grimmjow.

* * *

It was dark. Dark and very warm.

The only light filling Grimmjow's cell came from the torches lining the walls of the hallway in front of it.

For some reason, he was the only one in this wing, even though there were a number of other cells on either side of his.

With shackles around his neck, right wrist, torso, and ankles, he was pretty much unable to move or get out of the kneeling position he'd been put in. It was the researchers' way of making sure he didn't rebel against them.

A wise choice, he admitted.

Because the things he would have done to them had he been able to get free only involved staining the floor in blood… and the things he would do to Kurosaki if he was able to get free…

"_I can't believe I allowed myself to be fooled by a Court Guard…!"_ he thought angrily.

It had been a trap all along. One where he allowed a pretty face and an appealing offer get the better of his judgment.

Moving past the thought of Kurosaki and his shenanigans, Grimmjow felt completely disgraced to have been restrained by the weaklings who put this charm on his chest. If he could have unleashed his power, there wouldn't be anything any of the people who had been constantly experimenting on him could do to save their pathetic lives.

As he recalled a few of the experiments, he couldn't think of them as anything more than never ending and humiliating.

One involved them shining a few kinds of lights into his eyes, where they came to the conclusion that he was a walking dead man since, instead of reflecting any of the lights, they remained a cerulean shade. Another was where they undressed him, observed his genitals, and then forced him to ejaculate, concluding that Arrancars were able to reproduce. They changed the temperature drastically and noticed that he didn't sweat in the heat, nor did he shiver in the cold. The monotone girl that scientist left him with took samples of his skin, blood, hair, saliva, fingernails, and urine to examine. When he pissed on her instead of into the cup the first time she tried to take a urine sample, he was surprised that she didn't punish him. However, when the head scientist came back, she told him about it. After having his balls squeezed in a death grip, Grimmjow decided to be more obedient. It was at that point that the golden-toothed guy concluded that for male Arrancars, their genitals were like an Achilles' heel.

More experiments followed, which tested his features that were uncommon to Earthians. From the first experiments, it was concluded that he was _mostly_ Earthian. What they gathered from observing his hole and mask was that he was a hybrid of sorts. But they could not determine what kind of hybrid he was. Especially since the head scientist had seen him in his Resurrección state. The overall results were inconclusive, and Grimmjow relished in the sight of the freaky man nearly tearing his hair out as he tried to figure out exactly what he was.

"WHAT ARE YOU?!" he had asked him with wide eyes.

Grimmjow gave no response, of course. And even though he was punished for it, he couldn't stop grinning at the guy who had claimed he would unlock the secrets of his mysterious nature. He was intent on keeping what he had become a secret from everyone. The only ones who knew exactly what he was were Aizen, Pantera, and his fellow Espada, who shared his 'hybrid' nature.

With his eyes looking at the floor in his cell, Grimmjow sighed a heavy breath of relief.

Thankfully something had come up today and that deranged scientist took his assistants with him back to his division. It had something to do with a frost fusion or whatever, but he wasn't entirely sure about the details. After a while of being experimented on, his senses, especially his hearing, had become a little hazy.

That didn't mean he couldn't hear the two Court Guards coming his way, though.

After glancing up at them, he noticed they were bringing him his meal for the day.

"This is the guy who caused all that trouble a few days ago." One of them said.

"Seriously?" the shorter one asked.

"Yeah, he kidnapped Kurosaki and almost took that gorgeous friend of his, too."

The shorter of the two looked him in the eyes for a second. "We uh… brought your food." He said, holding the tray in the air.

Grimmjow watched as he callously dropped it on the floor and kicked it into his cell through the opening at the bottom where food was to be deposited.

The taller one was holding a glass in his hand and he turned to his partner. "Oi! What are you doing?!" he asked.

"This bastard is the reason my family's house was destroyed! And besides that," he began, and then looked Grimmjow in the eyes again, "I hate the look in this guy's eyes. He looks like a selfish piece of shit. If I remember correctly, he was a prince in Los Noches. He's _gotta_ be in Hell enduring these living conditions."

The taller one jumped when his partner took the glass of water from him and unlocked the cell door. "Hey, what are you-"

"You want this?!" he shouted, and then slammed the cup on the floor in front of Grimmjow.

Although he didn't necessarily approve of his fellow Court Guard's actions, Renji watched the guy start stomping all over the prisoner's food. He was watching silently from a corner in the hallway because he had been monitoring the man who attacked him and Rukia and who had also kidnapped Ichigo since Captain Kurotsuchi started experimenting on him.

He turned when he heard footsteps echoing from the entrance of the wing.

When he saw that it was Ichigo, dressed in casual clothes, who was coming, he started to call out to him.

But something stopped him.

It puzzled him a bit as to why Ichigo was here in the first place, so instead of being obnoxious, he simply stepped back into a shadowed part of the hall Grimmjow's cell was on and remained quiet. He wanted to see just what Ichigo was up to, and since nobody knew he was here, he knew he could watch what his friend would sincerely do to the Arrancar.

"Hey, Isei, don't just stand there! Let's take out some frustrations on this guy before he's sent to Hell!" The man in the cell with Grimmjow said.

"But-"

"Is that the way we treat prisoners now?" Ichigo asked as he came up behind Isei and saw what the guy in the cell had done to Grimmjow's food.

"K-Kurosaki?!"

"What are you doing here?" Isei asked.

"I'm here to speak privately with the prisoner. I have some final words to say to him before his execution."

"That's not really regulation-"

"Neither is what that guy was about to do, or what he already did to the prisoner's food." Ichigo interrupted.

"Oi, Nansei! Let's get going! This guy's dead tomorrow, anyway!"

"Tsk... yeah. You're right. Let's get back to the other prisoners." said man responded, and then exited the cell.

When he heard the door to the wing close, Ichigo relaxed a bit and let his stern façade dissipate. He was now completely alone with Grimmjow.

Stepping into the cell, he knelt down and started cleaning the food up.

"This isn't what all Court Guards are like. I'm sorry you had to experience this." He said.

After sliding the tray out of his way, he pulled the booksack he had on off of his back and put it on the floor.

"I brought you some home-cooked food."

Grimmjow remained silent. He simply watched as Ichigo pulled a container out of the booksack and then a soup spoon.

"Oh, you're wet." The boy said.

He pulled out a white towel from the bag and got closer to the shackled man. Gently, he wiped him down and sighed. Grimmjow didn't deserve this.

It upset him so much that he forgot he had the towel pressed against the man's cheek.

"Sorry." He said, and then pulled it away.

After putting the towel back into the bag, he picked up the container of beef curry and rice.

"My little sister made this for dinner last night. I didn't eat any, so I brought you some leftovers. It's been a rough two days for me… but I guess it's nothing compared to what you must have gone through in here."

When the spoon came his way with curry in it, Grimmjow didn't know what to do. He was undeniably hungry, but he wasn't necessarily willing to trust Kurosaki again. Who knew? It could have been poisoned.

"Not going to eat?" Ichigo asked. With a smile, he brought the spoon to his own mouth and ate the curry himself. "It's really good!" he said rudely with his mouth full.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes, but inwardly sighed.

The curry did smell really tasty, and it looked very appetizing. Since Kurosaki had just eaten some himself, it probably wasn't poisoned.

It reminded him of the food he ate back home. None of the food he'd been given here compared to what he was used to…

"Grimmjow, you need to eat." Ichigo said. He picked up another spoonful of curry and made sure to get a few pieces of beef in it, then offered it to the man.

Closing his eyes to reserve his pride, Grimmjow opened his mouth. As a result of closing his eyes, he didn't notice the smile Ichigo gave him for nonverbally agreeing to be fed.

As he fed the stubborn man, Ichigo took note of the dungeon cell. It was dark, only lit by a few torches along the walls. The dim light in here starkly contrasted to the brightness he'd come from outside.

He wondered why they were keeping him here when they could have kept him in another wing where there was actual electricity.

Just what kind of experiments were they doing to him down here?

His thoughts vanished when Grimmjow, with his eyes closed, opened his mouth for more curry, even though he had just given him the last of it.

"I'm sorry, but it's all gone." He said regretfully. "I didn't realize you'd want more than the double serving I brought. You've got quite an appetite."

Grimmjow opened his eyes and was displeased to find Ichigo's words to be true. With no more delicious food to eat, he quickly turned his head and avoided looking at the boy, afraid of the thoughts creeping back into his mind. They were quite malevolent.

Ichigo put the spoon inside the container and then put it back into his booksack.

He couldn't decide what to say or do next, so he stayed kneeling in front of Grimmjow for a while silently. Seeing him bound the way he was, it definitely wasn't pleasing.

The sound of the flames crackling on the torches filled the room, and he began to feel anxious. He was definitely capable of getting nervous around Grimmjow…

In fact, there were a lot of things he felt when this man was around.

He never wanted to see him hurt. He wanted to please him and keep him safe. He enjoyed being in his company more than he wanted to admit. The thought of losing him stung him something fierce. Touching him was exhilarating. Being close to him made him feel like coming undone. He wanted to be with him always, never losing sight of the man he'd undeniably grown attached to.

All of it meant something.

"_I'm caught up in you."_ He thought with a small smile.

Reaching his hand out, he took Grimmjow by the chin and turned him so his fiercely glowing eyes were looking at him.

Leaning forward, since it was clear he could not move the man in front of him due to his restraints, Ichigo closed the space between them and pressed his lips against Grimmjow's.

He felt his heart racing excitedly as he kissed him. Kissing Grimmjow always made him both happy and nervous. In some ways, it was a really magical experience.

As always, he felt no response whatsoever from the other. But that didn't stop him from enjoying the closeness, the intimacy, of this moment.

His hand moved from holding Grimmjow's chin to rubbing his left cheek. He enjoyed this more than he knew, but what he did know was that he couldn't just forget this man. No matter what he did, he would always remember the cerulean-haired Arrancar who took something very important from him, yet gave him something precious in return...

Slowly, Ichigo pulled away from Grimmjow. In the dark, those glowing blue eyes were unmistakably staring into his, and he felt a little intimidated by them.

"Grimmjow, I didn't mean for any of this to happen… You weren't supposed to be taken from me…" he said remorsefully.

It earned him no response whatsoever.

"I'm really sorry… But I'll fix this somehow. I will."

Still, he got no response.

"I can try and help you escape." He said in an almost muted voice, just in case Captain Kurotsuchi had bugged the place.

Again, he got nothing.

"Say… say something, please!" the boy nearly begged, dying from the uncertainty of what Grimmjow was feeling. His gleaming eyes did not give away a single emotion, they simply stared into his emptily. The lighting didn't help the situation, either.

It became obvious that Grimmjow had no intention of speaking with him. And when he realized that, he grimaced and stood up abruptly, making sure to pick up his booksack as he did. "That attitude of yours and the way you always distance yourself from everyone are exactly why no one will ever love you, Arrancar!" he said angrily.

Turning around, he walked out of the cell and closed it behind him. Just before he rounded the corner, he stopped in the torchlight and turned to look over his shoulder at the man who had his head hanging low now.

"That is… no one will ever love you the way I do, Grimmjow Jaegerjaques." he said under his breath, and then rounded the corner.

"…!?" With his mouth hanging open and his dark amber eyes wide, Renji stepped into the torchlight and stared at Ichigo's backside until the boy was gone.


	25. birds of a feather

**A/N: **I'm just giving you all a heads up that my classes start again in about two weeks, so updates will no longer occur every week after next week's chapter. I am really sorry about that.

But as always, I hope you all enjoy this new chapter.

birds of a feather

The next day, the day of Grimmjow's execution.

The sun shined brilliantly up in the sky above as Seireitei was blessed with another day. And even though it was an exceptionally good day to work, particularly out in the fields for those with agricultural jobs, a good percentage of the population from all regions of the vast kingdom had taken the day off to bear witness to the execution of the royal soldier from the desert kingdom, Los Noches.

Just a couple of days ago, it was that very soldier who invaded the kingdom and left a path of destruction in his wake, and it was all for the most obscure of reasons.

"Says here he kidnapped a Court Guard and tried taking a citizen from the kingdom as well." A young townsman said to her friend while holding up the execution edict that was in the newspaper as they headed to the scaffold behind the courthouse. General information about the invasion, and the resulting execution proclamation, had been posted on the front page of the newspaper for the last two days.

"What would he want with a random Court Guard?" her friend asked, then looked over her shoulder to try reading about it himself.

"Who knows? I guess it depends on who it was, but authorities won't release that information to general public. Though… I heard a rumor the other day that it may have been that orange-haired fellow. What's his name again? Oh… I can't remember… But he's a handsome one, I've seen him once before."

To the citizens, the Court Guards were protective agents. Their might was so incredible and their numbers so great that it was hard for anyone besides the captains and vice-captains to stand out to them. So the fact that it was Ichigo who had been kidnapped was undisclosed information to most citizens, apart from his family and close friends that is.

Inoue's involvement in the matter was also kept under wraps. Only a select few citizens who were uninvolved in Court Guard affairs even knew about her powers, like Ishida, Chad, Ishiin, Yuzu, Karin, Ururu, Jinta, and others she had grown close to over time. Since she came off as just another ordinary person, most of the other civilians didn't even know she was gone.

Tatsuki happened to be a part of the select few who had found out the details of what happened a few days ago. The fact that Orihime had been sent off to the High Palace didn't please her in the least, but there was nothing she could have done but send the girl off with a promise to see her again, very soon.

As she entered the downtown district, where everyone else was headed to watch the execution, she ignored the ignorant townspeople who didn't know much about this matter, but chose to talk about it like they knew everything. She could easily tell from their discussions that all they really wanted was to see an execution. It had been a while since the last one, but that one hadn't been as serious as this one was. Though, she'd honestly only heard about it on the news, so she didn't _really_ want to deem it serious or not. That's just what most people around the kingdom had said when it was over.

When the large scaffold came into her sights, she looked around at the massive crowd of people that had gathered in front of it. There was absolutely no one here she recognized, which made her feel a bit relieved. Ishida was most likely busy at work, since his father did not close the hospital today. She heard his father had even threatened to fire anyone who was scheduled to work today that chose not to show up so they could witness the execution. Chad's whereabouts were unknown to her, but she didn't think he was the type of person to partake in something like this. There was also no sign of Keigo, Mizuiro, Chizuru, Michiru, or any of the others in their group.

So when she saw that she was the only one who chose to attend, she felt proud of everyone for not supporting this kind of thing.

The only reason _she_ had come was to try finding Ichigo.

He was a Court Guard, which made her think he would be here, but she did not see him posted along the walls surrounding the area, nor was he anywhere up near the captains.

After looking around thoroughly, she saw that neither the Head Captain nor the person who was to be executed was present, either.

But she was mainly concerned with Ichigo. Sure, she was upset with the person who had the audacity to try taking Orihime from the kingdom and caused this mess, but she was also interested in seeing how Ichigo would react to this all, considering he promised her a long time ago that he would keep Orihime safe.

"_Where are you, Ichigo?"_ she thought, looking around the crowd for a head of bright orange hair for the second time.

"Is this really okay?" she heard a woman ask from in front of her. "I mean, executing a prince from Los Noches… and strengthening the spiritual shield on the eastern end of the kingdom, which is where people from Los Noches usually enter from… could we be going to war over this?"

"I don't know…" the man who was asked replied. "It has been a very long time since I've seen the defenses on the western end of the kingdom decreased so the eastern side can be more fortified. The last time that happened was while war was waging."

"Oh God, what if they call a draft and take my son away…?"

"No, they definitely have enough numbers to fight. I just worry what would happen to us citizens if worst comes to worst."

Tatsuki momentarily stopped looking for Ichigo and took a second to consider that.

If it came to war, would everyone be okay? The last time war broke out was a few years ago. She was young, so all she really remembered was being sheltered by the Court Guards. Hopefully they learned from the previous war and could better protect the kingdom this time around so there would be no invasions. Otherwise, she would stand up and fight if she had to.

A lot of thoughts were expressed as many conversations on the matter arose in the massive crowd.

"There's no way they would be doing this without permission." An older man interrupted the two up ahead who were still discussing Grimmjow's connection with Los Noches. "This is Seireitei, where things are done with consideration of the consequences that follow. If I know that old dinosaur Yamamoto, he probably already received permission to do this."

The old man's words put the two at ease, and Tatsuki as well. Though, spotting Ichigo was still at the top of her priority list.

"_You better show up for this… Ichigo…"_

* * *

Seated on a rooftop a ways away from the courthouse, but still watching as everyone gathered at the execution site, Ichigo couldn't help but feel very nervous about today. His heart was racing faster than usual, and it had been ever since he opened his eyes this morning.

Last night, he had stayed up thinking about what should be done—what he had to do today.

Everything he had decided before he went to sleep had been decided for Grimmjow's sake, and for Inoue's sake. And he would not be deterred from his important decision.

A familiar Reiatsu approaching him made him turn.

"Good morning, Ichigo!" Senna said with a smile as she jumped onto the rooftop beside her friend. "Whoa! What's up with the weird getup?"

She had taken immediate notice of his large, black, hooded cloak.

Since he was seated with his arm rested atop his right knee, she saw that underneath the cloak, he was not wearing his Court Guard Uniform. Also, strangely enough for someone who was obviously trying to be inconspicuous, there was something yellow and pointy sticking out from inside the hood.

"It's nothing." Ichigo responded, and then turned back to stare at the crowd gathered in front of the scaffolds.

"Hmm… well if you say so. Guess you're just trying a new fashion or something." The girl said, before taking a seat next to him. "You know… this execution is a big deal… What do you think it means, Ichigo? You were kidnapped by that guy, after all. So how do _you_ feel about this?"

Said boy looked down at the shingles on the rooftop beside him. "I think… I think Seireitei is punishing Grimmjow for what he did. He invaded us and did a lot of damage, that's true… but…"

"But?" Senna echoed.

"But… he didn't kill a single citizen when he did. I don't think he deserves to be put to death for…"

The dark-haired girl rolled her eyes. "Oh my gosh, stop being so angsty and finish your sentences!"

Ichigo looked over at Senna, noting how blunt she was. As usual. "Sorry. I just… I don't think he should die for a simple kidnapping. I'm nobody in particular, so I definitely don't agree with this." He said.

"Shut up. You're somebody to me, you're somebody to your family, to our comrades, and to the rest of our friends. Don't you ever forget that, you hear?"

For just a moment, Ichigo felt a bit relieved in this unsettling situation. Having friends who sincerely cared about him, and having people believe in him, it made him very happy.

But there was something else that made him happy, and he wasn't about to simply let it be taken away from him forever.

After standing up, he looked down to Senna and smiled. "Thanks for that, Senna. I really appreciate it."

"Sure. But, where are you going?"

"I have something to do."

Senna watched as Ichigo walked over to the edge of the roof. "W-wait! Ichigo!"

The boy's brown eyes turned to stare into her bright orange ones. "I'll be back soon, Senna. Tell the others don't worry, and not to come after me."

"Huh?! What does that mean?!"

"There's something important I have to take care of, and it'd be best if I did it alone." With that said, Ichigo pulled his hood over his head and jumped down from the roof to the ground.

"Ichigo!" Senna called. Before she could even react, he was gone with a Flash Step, one much faster than she'd previously seen him use.

For the tiniest moment that she had sensed his Reiatsu, she felt something else coming from it that was very unfamiliar to her.

It was… another Reiatsu… One that she did not recognize at all. Most notably, while it lingered, it nearly suffocated her when she tried picking it up with her own.

* * *

After leaving his division, Yamamoto walked down the breezeway that would lead him out of headquarters. He stopped when he saw Kisuke Urahara and Captain Kurotsuchi coming his way.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked.

Urahara smiled. "Well good morning, Head Captain. It's been a while, huh?"

"It's only been a few days since you left, you bumbling fool." Kurotsuchi said, rolling his eyes.

"Good morning. Might I ask why you two are here? The only time I see you together, actually cooperating with one another, is when something serious has happened."

"Sharp as you ever were." Urahara said.

Stepping in front of the blonde man, Kurotsuchi shook his head disapprovingly at him before turning to face his captain. "Since he won't get to it, I will. In the past few days there has been some spiritual activity coming from that old temple in the Phantom Forest. It peaked for a moment last night, so it isn't something we want to ignore anymore. We believe it was Aizen's doing."

"The chances of it being him are ninety-nine point nine percent!" Urahara said over the other man's shoulder.

"Quiet you!" Kurotsuchi hissed. He looked back to his commander and continued. "I would have Nemu go investigate, but I already sent her on a mission to deal with that menacing volcano outside the kingdom far northwest from here."

"Isn't that where another one of those temples is?" Urahara asked.

"I said be quiet! Good gracious!"

Yamamoto ignored the usual banter between Kurotsuchi and Urahara and started stroking his gray beard as he considered what they had just told him.

Aizen was meddling in one of those old temples…? That wasn't a good sign.

"What will you have us do? Do we focus on him, or keep our priorities here in the kingdom?" Kurotsuchi asked.

The wind blew gently as Yamamoto voiced his answer, and calmed when he closed his mouth and started walking again.

"Aye aye." Urahara said.

Kurotsuchi turned and shooed the blonde man away with his hand, then followed after the Head Captain. It pained him greatly, but he would watch as the simpletons put his precious specimen to death since, as a captain, he had no choice but to attend.

* * *

At Grimmjow's emergence from the courthouse, the crowd of kingdom dwellers became much livelier in anticipation of his execution.

As he was led up the stairs onto the platform by the man who would be carrying out his execution, he stared down at the seemingly infinite number of people who had gathered to see him erased from existence. Some of them shouted at him angrily, asking how he could ever possibly live with himself for putting an end to the prosperous treaty that ended the war a few years ago. Some were insensitive and called him anything but human. Others, primarily women, noted what a waste of a fine man he was.

It all sounded like things he was used to hearing, ever since he was a child…

When he reached the place where he was to be beheaded and was forced to kneel down, he saw a small, almost unnoticeable group of people holding up signs that proclaimed execution was wrong and all life was a sacred gift from above.

It made him roll his eyes.

But somewhere deep down, he found it impossible to believe that anyone would vouch for his life.

"_I… I should've been dead long ago. And now that it's my time, it doesn't surprise me that this is how it ends. In front of a crowd of people who hate my guts, and who will probably drink to their heart's content when I'm gone."_ Taking a glance back over his shoulder at the man holding the dull-looking axe, he gritted his teeth. _"Fuck. It would be a buff asshole with no actual bravery to take me out."_ He thought.

One thing he always knew was, if he was going to be killed, he wanted it to be by someone strong. Someone like Aizen, or Kurosaki...

The asshole standing behind him _looked_ strong, but he could tell the guy would probably go cower in a corner if the war everyone was so afraid of was sparked.

"_Tch… maybe I never should have trusted that fucking punk… He was obviously lying to get me in this predicament… If he wanted me dead so bad, he should've taken me out in the desert when I was wounded. Why wait to get me here? Was he too afraid of killing me himself?"_

Taking a glance up at the sky, the cerulean-haired man saw that the day of his bloody end was bright and almost cloudless. It was a very nice day, he admitted. _"How fitting. Even the world is smiling about me having my head cut off."_

* * *

"It's a nice day, isn't it Abarai-fukutaicho?" Byakuya asked Renji, trying to make small talk as they waited for the execution to begin.

The redhead turned and nodded to his captain. "Yeah. I guess even the heavens are telling us this is the right thing to do."

"The heavens, you say?"

"Yes sir. Where else would such a nice day come from? And… what else could they be smiling about? It's as if all of Earthia is rejoicing over what's to come, actually. Don't you agree?"

"I would not know for sure if the planet or the heavens are smiling about this. Perhaps there is something else we have yet to see that is making them seem so elated."

"That's possible too. But… in any case, let us focus for now, Taicho. It may be a nice day, but who knows what could happen…?"

"Agreed."

Although he hated ending conversations that his captain had initiated, since they were so few and short in between, Renji turned his attention back to the scaffold. Seeing that man, no, seeing that _thing_ up there kneeling before the kingdom he wronged was such a fitting punishment for the bastard.

Though, that was not what he was anxious about.

What he was really looking for was a head of bright orange hair that belonged to Ichigo.

After hearing what he said to the criminal yesterday, he had steeled himself and was prepared to bring Ichigo back to his senses if he chose to do something… treacherous.

…

At least forty minutes had passed since Grimmjow had been led out to the scaffold, yet nothing happened. Nothing apart from him being read his charges and final rights as a human, that is.

Renji turned and looked at his captain. "Taicho, what exactly are we waiting for?"

Byakuya did not take his sights off the convicted criminal as he responded, "The Head Captain, of course."

The redhead's eyes went wide and he started inwardly fretting. He hadn't even noticed the Head Captain wasn't present because he was looking for Ichigo so adamantly. "R-right!"

All of the other captains were present and watching from high posts behind the large crowd of townspeople. Though, like Kurotsuchi, there were many among them who did not wish to see Grimmjow executed for simply invading the kingdom and kidnapping Ichigo.

Renji looked at each of them and their lieutenants for a moment, and then sighed.

Things would have been a lot easier if he wasn't the only one who knew about Ichigo's feelings. At least he wouldn't be the only one in a frenzied state of mind.

Byakuya, although still focused on the convicted criminal, decided to speak insightfully about how this event should unfold. "We are waiting for a very important reason. If the Head Captain does not give the order to carry out this execution, we could find ourselves in the same position as the man up there on the scaffold. None of the other captains have the authority to punish him, and Los Noches, though in agreeance with this, could take the initiative to attack us should one of us give the order to eliminate him. If you recall, that man was at one point an Espada. To them, Espadas, even though high ranking, are like our captains, unable to make interkingdom decisions that affect the previously established treaty. The only ones who maintain that authority are the leaders of the kingdoms, and even though he is not our king, Yamamoto-soutaicho has been granted permission to govern this kingdom in the High King's stead. The reason that man is up there facing his final moments is because he violated the treaty, and Yamamoto-soutaicho wants to demonstrate that no one but he and Aizen have the authority to do that. That is why this moment is so significant."

"So the Head Captain wants to ensure the responsibility from this moment falls on his shoulders alone, right?"

"Correct."

Renji turned his full attention back to Grimmjow. The people had died down with their initial excitement about him being brought out, and were getting restless now.

The moment he saw a few hooded figures enter the crowd, he felt a tug on his sleeve.

Turning, he saw that it was Rukia and Senna.

"What are you two doing here?" the tattooed man asked.

"Well, we're a bit concerned about Ichigo." Rukia said.

"Yeah, he's been acting very shady and kinda depressed lately." Senna added.

Renji squinted and turned to the taller of the two girls. "Senna, shouldn't you be on guard duty at the southern entrance today?"

"Is that really important now?" said girl asked.

"Renji, _this_ is important." Rukia said.

The fact that these two chose such a crucial time to come find him to talk about Ichigo made Renji realize even they must have known he was up to something.

"I… I know everything." The redhead commented. He then begged his captain's pardon and took the two of them down from his post to an empty area behind the large crowd of townspeople.

"What exactly do you know about this? Was there something I missed in the briefing?" Rukia asked.

"No, you couldn't have known about this. Not by a long shot."

"Known about what?" the violet-eyed girl asked.

"I… I heard something Ichigo said yesterday. And from that, I suspect he may try freeing the prisoner before he can be executed."

"Ooh! I-I knew I should have stopped him when I had the chance!" Senna shouted, drawing the eyes of a few citizens.

"What does that mean?" Renji asked with a raised eyebrow.

"He told me earlier this morning that he had 'something to do.' He was all shady about it, too." The girl replied.

Now sure of the boy's motives and a bit angry about them, Renji turned and desperately looked out to the crowd for Ichigo. Would he _really_ betray everyone in Seireitei for that _Arrancar_?! For a second, he looked at Grimmjow and felt that he could do away with him himself for causing all of this.

"Renji! If you're looking for Ichigo, you won't find him by his hair! He's wearing a black hooded cloak!" Senna said.

Rukia looked out to the crowd, where she saw quite a few people wearing hoods. Though, there were only four with black ones on. _"Ichigo, what are you planning?"_ she thought. It occurred to her that maybe that day she had last seen him, it could have been possible he was upset about more than just Inoue being sent to the High Palace.

"Why didn't you stop him if you knew something beforehand?!" Senna shouted at Renji, interrupting Rukia's thoughts.

"I went looking for him last night, but he wasn't home! And I couldn't find his Reiatsu, either! _You're_ the one who could've stopped him!"

"How was _I_ supposed to know he would try to-mmph!?" Senna's orange eyes went wide when Renji clasped his hand over her mouth.

"Keep that down… We can't have everyone finding out about this."

"You two are drawing a lot of attention to us." Rukia commented. "Let's start trying to find him."

"Agreed." Renji said.

Senna snatched his large hand from over her mouth and folded her arms. "You should be more grateful to me. If I hadn't come with Rukia, you'd never have known he was in a cloak."

"Yeah, write a book or something. Now let's go before he does something foolish!" the redhead ordered.

He, Rukia, and Senna split up and squeezed through the crowd, heading to three of the four people in black hoods.

It was then that the Head Captain arrived on the captains' post and banged his cane on the ground. "It's time for the execution to begin!" he declared, causing the crowd to shout out in anticipation of it.

* * *

Standing nervously at the front of the crowd under the protection of his dark cloak, Ichigo gripped what he was holding in his hand tightly to keep them from slipping out of his somewhat sweaty grasp.

As he stared up at Grimmjow, he couldn't help but think back to what Unohana had said to him when the captains had taken him away that night.

"_Please do not do anything that will result in your death when you depart..."_

Had she… had she known about this all along…?

"Whatcha thinking about?"

Ichigo jumped at the sound of Kon's voice coming from his hood.

"Kon?! What the hell are you doing here?!" he whispered with annoyance in his voice.

"I snuck into your cloak before you left the clinic yesterday. I knew from the look on your face when you came back home that you'd be leaving the kingdom again, and I wasn't going to be left hiding in the closet from that sister of yours again!" the stuffed lion replied with a similar, annoyed whisper.

Ichigo decided not to deal with Kon right now. The last thing he needed was attention from the people around him, or the captains in the back.

This absolutely had to go smoothly.

And he only had a few seconds to do it in.

The executioner was already sharpening his broadaxe.

"Gonna put everyone to sleep?" Kon asked.

"No, you fool. I'd risk putting myself to sleep as well, and that wouldn't help this situation at all."

"So you really are gonna leave? Anything you do here to save that guy will result in your banishment, you know…"

Ichigo ignored Kon and moved the smoke grenades in his hand so they were in between his each of his fingers. They would keep him from being seen so he would not be charged with treason for helping the man he cared for so much.

The executioner had just finished sharpening his broadaxe, and was now walking over to Grimmjow.

He admitted that Grimmjow looked so helpless in that kneeling position. It didn't fit him at all.

"_I'll save you, Grimmjow! I'll _never_ let them kill you!"_ he thought with gritted teeth.

At the same time the executioner lifted his weapon into the air, he lifted his hand that was holding onto the smoke grenades out from under his cloak.

Before either of them could act, an earsplitting screech in the distance stopped them.

Everyone in the crowd looked up to the sky in the direction it had come from. Even Ururu and Jinta, who were wearing black cloaks to help Ichigo not get caught by his fellow Court Guards.

On the horizon, there were multiple shadows approaching.

Something big was coming.

An angry growl echoed stridently in the air, scaring quite a few of the people in the crowd.

Jinta's eyes lit up excitedly as he looked up to the sky and held onto his hood. "A-are those-"

"Gotcha!" Renji shouted, and grabbed him by the shoulder.

"P-pineapple head?!" the boy asked with wide eyes.

"Y-you! What are you doing in this cloak?!"

"Heh, Ichigo thought it'd be best to keep you and the others from coming into contact with him today, so Ururu, Tessai and me all came to throw you guys off! And you fell for it! I'm not even the same height as Ichigo!"

Renji smacked his lips. Ichigo really was clever, wasn't he? He hadn't even seen him watching him in the dungeon yesterday, but even so, he still made sure to cover his tracks and hide out until that Arrancar's scheduled execution. "I'll deal with you later!" he said irritatedly, and then left Jinta in the crowd. Looking over, he saw that Rukia and Senna had already caught Tessai and Ururu. He was far from the front of the crowd, but that was where the last person wearing a black hooded cloak was standing. And that's where he was going.

"LOOVER BOOOOOOOOOOYYYYY! WHERE ARE YOOOOOU?!" Nel's voice rang as she rode into the kingdom on a flock of giant hawks.

Pantera, who was on one of the hawks behind her, looked down to the scaffold and saw the position Grimmjow was in. He growled low in his throat at the man holding the broadaxe.

Ichigo smiled up at their incredible timing and then looked down to the smoke grenades in between his fingers.

When Nel and Pantera jumped down next to the executioner, he took the chance to jump onto the platform with them. He grimaced at the pain _he_ could almost feel when Nel knocked the executioner out by kicking him in his temple.

Grimmjow's cerulean eyes went wide when he saw Pantera coming over to him. "What are you doing here?!" he asked.

Ichigo turned back to the crowd and raised his hand. When he spotted Tatsuki standing with a baffled look on her face, he hesitated.

"Hey, who are you?!" Nel shouted at the cloaked figure when her eyes landed on him.

Before responding to Nel, Ichigo threw the smoke grenades out into the crowd and watched as they filled the air with a dark, thick cloud of smoke.

"It's me, Nel." The boy said, and then turned around to remove his hood, revealing his face and orange hair to her in the sunlight.

Grimmjow squinted, Pantera did not respond, and Nel smiled big before she jumped onto him excitedly.

"Ichigo! Oh I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Nel, you're crushing me!" Ichigo replied. It was then he remembered what was inside his hood.

After getting Nel off of him, he reached into the hood and pulled Kon out.

"Oh how cute!" the teal-haired girl exclaimed.

"He's far from it, actually." The boy said, and then dropped Kon onto the ground.

"You really are the worst owner ever!" the plushie said, with tears in his button eyes.

"How can a stuffed animal be crying?" Ichigo asked.

"Because I have a heart!"

Nel walked over and bent down in front of Kon sympathetically. "Oh, Ichigo! How could you be so mean to this little guy!? He's the cutest thing ever!"

"Keep him around for a while and you'll see how easy it is."

Kon's expression changed dramatically when Nel, in her large-breasted glory, got close to him.

Ignoring those two for a moment, Ichigo anxiously walked over to where Grimmjow was and kneeled down in front of him. He didn't know what to say, but he did know what he had to do.

Pulling Zangetsu out from under his cloak, he severed the chains binding the bluenette, then stood up. He looked over to Pantera for a second and immediately felt guilty that he had abused the panther's trust in him. "I'm sorry I couldn't keep Grimmjow safe. But I… I really was trying to help him." He said.

"It's no problem, human. I can tell just by looking at you that you did your best to take care of Grimmjow. Thank you for trying. That's more than most would have done."

"Hmph… What are you trying to accomplish by saving me?" Grimmjow asked, and then got up.

Ichigo turned to him and smiled. "I don't really know. But I can't just let you die." He said. When the taller man walked over to him, he reached out and touched his scarred chest for a moment. Grimmjow's heart was at a steady pace, meaning even when faced with death he was unafraid.

His wound had also completely healed, even though it had still been there when his Resurrección state fled. It was probably Captain Kurotsuchi's doing to prevent him from dying before he could examine him more, he concluded.

"BOYFRIEND!" Nel coughed.

Turning and squinting, Ichigo voiced his disapproval of her statement. "It's _not _like that! I told you already!" he said, and then looked at Grimmjow out of the corner of his eye to see how he had reacted to Nel's teasing.

He seemed completely unmoved by it.

"Boyfriend?!" Kon shouted.

"Argh! Look, we don't have time for this! We need to get away from here before the smoke clears." Ichigo said. After getting a little closer to Grimmjow, he moved his hand so that it hovered over to the Reiatsu restraining charm, and then he removed it. "You should be able to get out of the kingdom now. Just head to the west were the defenses are weakest. But please… on your way out, don't kill anyone even if they get in your way. Don't forget why we're in this mess in the first place."

"Tsk! I ain't running from anyone! These bastards want me dead, so let 'em try to kill me now that I'm unrestrained! And that goes for you, too!" the taller man said angrily.

"Grimmjow! It's not about your pride here! You don't have your Zanpakutō! And even if you did, you'd be no match for the captains who are probably making their way through the smoke right now! Get out of here while you still can, or this will all have been for nothing!"

"You're basically telling me to run with my tail between my legs!"

"No, I'm telling you to _survive_ to fight another day! Stop being so stubborn and listen to me!"

"Dramaaaaa…" Nel commented.

"Tsk!" Grimmjow balled his hand up into a fist, but decided to go anyway. Kurosaki had a point, no matter how annoying he was about it. "Fuck this! Pantera, come!"

Pantera shook his head at the man. "No, you escape. I almost lost you once, as I was hesitant to fight because I was blindly following your orders, but I won't let it happen again."

"Don't be foolish! If I can't take on the damned captains here, then you definitely can't!"

"But Grimmjow, I have to try. For you. You didn't hesitate to save me all those years ago, and I won't be hesitant to protect you."

The bluenette's right eye twitched, but he turned around anyway. "Fine! Do what you want!" he said, and then jumped up onto the courthouse's rooftop.

"I'll meet up with you later!" Ichigo called after him, and then turned to Nel. "Nel, come with me and we'll go find his sword!" When Nel puffed out her cheeks and looked at him annoyedly, he raised an eyebrow. "What?" he asked.

"You must not have realized that I've tamed those giant hawks, huh?"

"You... tamed them?"

"Yeah, for the time being… They wanted to gain entrance into the kingdom, and I needed their strength. So this place will have a very big bird problem, if you'll pardon the pun, for a while. And they're strong, so your captains will be busy with them, allowing you to get away. But I will stay with Pantera-"

"And me!" Kon interrupted. He was hanging around the girl's neck and looking over her shoulder at Ichigo.

Nel pulled out her sword and continued, "I'll hold off these guys to make sure you've gotten away with your man before coming after you. But… don't wait for us. Go as far across Earthia as you possibly can, and trust that, just like today, we'll meet again."

"But Nel! You can't really think that… can you?" the boy asked. He really did not want to leave her behind again.

Whipping around and thus turning her back to Ichigo, Nel looked up to the sky. "I sincerely do. And it's because we're friends. Birds of a feather flock together, remember?!" she said, and then leaped up through the smoke.

Ichigo jumped in surprise when Pantera did the same. He had forgotten he was back there…

Some of the smoke cleared and he saw that they had both landed atop two large hawks and were heading in the opposite direction Grimmjow had left in. They were going to act as decoys.

"Right! Birds of a feather!" the boy said reassuringly, and then quickly turned around.

Into the smoke he ran, heading to the dungeons underneath the courthouse so he could retrieve Grimmjow's Zanpakutō.


End file.
